Paranoid schizophrenics were found to be more similar to affective disordered patients than to other types of schizophrenics on age at first hospitalization and premorbid social competence. These findings support an earlier formulation of paranoid schizophrenia as a reflection of underlying affective disorder rather than as a subtype of schizophrenia. In addition, in all the diagnostic groups, women were found to be older than men at first hospitalization.