[Personality and marriage of schizophrenic patients].

AIM

The aim of this research is to compare some personality factors like self-perception and perception of an ideal partner in two groups of schizophrenic patients. The first group is people ill with schizophrenia who have been married for at least a year and the other group is unmarried people ill with schizophrenia who were not previously married or in a relationship for longer than a year.

METHOD

In this study, using The Adjective Check List--ACL by H.G. Gough and A.B. Heilbrun (Polish translation by M. Matkowski), has been used as an instrument for evaluation self-perception and perception of an ideal partner.

RESULTS

Results of the research corroborate differences between chosen personal dimensions in compared groups of people ill with schizophrenia. There were statistically substantial differences in some scales of ACL between the married and unmarried schizophrenic patients. The married patients were characterized by a larger number of positive adjectives chosen, higher results in the scales of: FAV--Favourite, NUR--Nursing, HET--Heterosexuality, CHA--Change, CPS--Creative personality, UGD--Amicability; and lower results in the scales of: CRS--Care support. Perception of an ideal partner differentiated the groups in a lower degree. Two scales proved to be statistically substantial: NUR--Nursing, CHA--Change. The married patients were substantially weaker in displaying such needs towards their ideal partners.

CONCLUSIONS

What differs the group of married people ill with schizophrenia from unmarried people ill with schizophrenia is mainly personality features connected with the need to initiate and keep up interpersonal contacts. The married patients want such relationships, are more prone to compromise and do something for others and are less afraid of changes. They also have lower expectations of their ideal partners as to the care of others. They do not expect their ideal partners to be ready to change as much as unmarried patients.