A Comparative Study of Some Psychosocial Factors in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is an enigma and is also considered to be among the most common psychiatric disturbance in all existing cultures. This research aims to explore some of the psychosocial folds of people having schizophrenia, which includes patients having florid symptoms (FS) and patients in partial remission phase (PR). The sample consisted of 45 subjects (15 having schizophrenia with florid symptoms with 12 matched normal subjects and 10 having schizophrenia in partial remission phase with 8 matched normal subjects). On each of the clinical group, Visual Analogue Scale, Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley, 1988), UCLA Loneliness scale (Russell et al., 1980), Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, Rush, Shaw & Emery, 1979), Family Environment Scale (Bhatia & Chadha, 1993) and Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (Kay et. al, 1987) were administered as well as clinical interviews were conducted. On the normal group (N), Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley, 1988), UCLA Loneliness scale (Russell et al., 1980) and Family Environment Scale (Bhatia & Chadha, 1993) were administered General Health Questionnaire (Goldberg & Miller, 1979). Data were analyzed using Unequal Independent Samples t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. The normal and the clinical groups (CG) differed significantly on loneliness (CG>N), perceived social support from family, friends and significant others and different aspects of family environment (CG<N). The schizophrenic group having florid symptoms differed significantly with their normal counterparts on loneliness (FS>N), perceived social support from family (FS<N) and total (FS>N) and different aspects of family environment (FS<N). The schizophrenic group in partial remission phase differed significantly with their normal counterparts on loneliness (PR>N), perceived social support from family, friends, and total and different aspects of family environment (PR<N). The schizophrenic group having florid symptoms differed significantly with the group in partial remission phase on positive symptoms (FS>PR), cognitive triad, subjective distress, loneliness, perceived social support from family, friends, significant family environment other and total (FS<PR).