Summary
Based on a calibration sample comprising 552 schizophrenic patients, ego-psychopathology was modelled in terms of three empirical scales. For this purpose, a special assessment instrument (EPIS) had been designed which measures the phenomena of self-experience in psychotic individuals. Within the scope of these investigations, a 2.5-year follow-up study was carried out with 85 schizophrenic patients. The principal goal of this study was to test the predictive power of typical patterns of self-experience with respect to social functioning. In order to analyse the homogeneity of the data multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis was employed. The results derived from the initial interview suggested a partitioning of the population into two extreme groups termed, according to our model, high-risk and low-risk cases. The predictive power of ego-psychopathology with regard to the social situation was then tested by comparing the outcome of both groups after 2.5 years. The analyses yielded no indication that there is a strong relationship between ego-psychopathology and social adaptation. Only a tendency could be found suggesting that subjects with few ego-psychopathological disturbances have a better occupational behaviour.
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This study was supported by the Swiss National Fund Foundation (project no. 3200-009314)
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Hauser, R., Scharfetter, C. On the prognostic relevance of ego-psychopathology in schizophrenia: A 2.5-year follow-up. Eur Arch Psychiatr Neurol Sci 239, 293–302 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01735054
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01735054