<> on March 8, 2011 in UNSPECIFIED, United Kingdom. A new study suggests as many as four out of ten schizophrenics are left handed. (Getty Images)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CBS Atlanta) – People suffering from mental disorders such as schizophrenia appear to have a higher rate of left-handedness than the general population, according to a new study.

About 10 percent of people are left-handed. But the results of this study found that 40 percent of people suffering from psychotic disorders were left-handed.

The authors admit the survey size was small, only 107 people who were being treated for psychological problems.

But the numbers are still significant, say the researchers.

“Our results show a strikingly higher prevalence of left-handedness among patients presenting with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, compared to patients presenting for mood symptoms such as depression or bipolar disorder,” wrote the researcers.

While preferring the left, or sinister side, or right hand is not strictly genetic, it is related to how the brain develops.

Right-handers tend to have cognitive function develop initially on the left side of the brain. This is not always the case for southpaws.

Scientists say there is still much about the differences between righties and lefties they do not understand.

The study, ‘Left-Handedness Among a Community Sample of Psychiatric Outpatients Suffering From Mood and Psychotic Disorders,’ is published in the journal SAGE Open.