Communication disturbances in parents of schizophrenics.

The article describes the method and results of and experimental study of communication disturbances in parents of schizophrenics. A non-structured interview was carried out with parents of mentally retarded patients as a control group. Communication disturbances were analysed by means of a manual with operational descriptions of communication disorders. The results showed more disturbances in parents of schizophrenic parents. Within the group of parents of schizophrenics, those with schizophrenia in remission after an active phase of the illness showed more disturbances than parents of chronic schizophrenics. These data, obtained at one point in time after the illness has developed, are consistent with, but cannot confirm the hypothesis that interactional factors may contribute to the pathogenesis of an acute, florid form of schizophrenia.