Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T17:12:51.187Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Stress in Schizophrenics and Normals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

George Serban
George Serban*
Affiliation:
Readmission Study, New York University—Bellevue Medical Center, 45 East 85th Street, New York, N.Y. 10028, U.S.A.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

This paper presents findings related to the measure of stress in 641 schizophrenics (125 acutes and 516 chronics) and 95 comparable normals. Stress was defined as an imbalance between environmental demands and the respondent's ability to meet that demand successfully, and was measured in terms of level of stress experienced in relation to specific problem situations. Twenty-one dimensions of stress were measured, subsumed under the following four general areas: social performance, family interaction, social interpersonal interaction, and social maladaptive activities.

Results indicated that, in general, normals experience significantly less stress in dealing with life events than do schizophrenics. Within the schizophrenic group, the pseudo ambulatory chronic patients evidenced more stress than did their acute counterparts, a finding not previously described in the literature.

Implications of these findings do not support the present community after-care concepts. Discharged chronic schizophrenics appear unable to remain in the community for any reasonable period of time because of the high level of stress under which they function.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 126 , Issue 5 , May 1975 , pp. 397 - 407
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1975 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Astrup, C., Fossum, A. & Holmboe, R. (1962) Prognosis in Functional Psychosis. Springfield, Illinois.Google Scholar
Birley, J. L. T. & Brown, G. W. (1970) Crises and life changes preceding the onset or relapse of acute schizophrenia: clinical aspects. British Journal of Psychiatry, 116, 327–33.Google Scholar
Bleuler, E. (1930) The physiogenic and psychogenic in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 10, 203–11.Google Scholar
Brown, G. W., Birley, J. L. T. & Wing, J. K. (1972) Influence of family life on the cause of schizophrenic disorders: a replication. British Journal of Psychiatry, 121, 241–58.Google Scholar
Brown, G. W., Sklair, F., Harris, T. O. & Birley, J. L. T. (1973) Life-events and psychiatric disorders. Part I: Some methodological issues. Psychological Medicine, 3, 74–87.Google Scholar
Dohrenwend, B. S. (1974) Life events as stressors: a methodological inquiry. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Epstein, S. & Coleman, M. (1970) Drive theories of schizophrenia. Psychosomatic Medicine, 32, 114–41.Google Scholar
Hollingshead, A. B. & Redlich, F. C. (1958) Social Class and Mental Illness: A Community Study. New York.Google Scholar
Holmes, T. H. & Rahe, R. H. (1967) The social readjustment rating scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11, 213–17.Google Scholar
Langfeldt, G. (1956) The prognosis in schizophrenia. Acta Psychiatrica et Neurologica Scandinavica Supplement. Copenhagen.Google Scholar
Langner, T. S. & Michel, S. T. (1963) Life Stress and Mental Health. New York.Google Scholar
Mechanic, D. (1970) Problem in developing a social psychology of adaptation to stress. In Social and Psychological Factors in Stress (ed. McGrath, ). New York.Google Scholar
Michaux, W. W., Katz, M., Kurland, A. A. & Gansereit, K. H. (1969) The First Tear Out. Baltimore.Google Scholar
Phillips, L. (1953) Case history data and prognosis in schizophrenia. Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases, 117, 515–25.Google Scholar
Rosenbaum, P. C. (1968) Metabolic, physiological, anatomical and genetic studies in the schizophrenics: a review and analysis. Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases, 146, 103–23.Google Scholar
Serban, G. & Woloshin, G. W. (1974) Relationship between pre and postmorbid psychological stress in schizophrenics. Psychological Report, 35, 507–17.Google Scholar
Sheffé, H. (1957) The Analysis of Variance. New York.Google Scholar
Spitzer, R. L. & Endicott, J. (1969) Problem Appraisal Scales. Evaluation Section, Biometric Research, New York State Department of Mental Hygiene.Google Scholar
Taube, A. C. & Readick, R. (1972) Utilization of mental health resources by persons diagnosed with schizophrenia. NIMH Statistical Report. Washington, D.C. Google Scholar
Vaillant, J. (1964) Prospective prediction of schizophrenic remission. Archives of General Psychiatry, 11, 509–17.Google Scholar
Wallis, G. G. (1972) Stress as a predictor in schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 120, 375–84.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.