Lebell M B, Marder S R, Mintz J, Mintz L I, Tompson M, Wirshing W, Johnston-Cronk K, McKenzie J
West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, Brentwood Division, CA 90073.
Br J Psychiatry. 1993 Jun;162:751-4. doi: 10.1192/bjp.162.6.751.
Thirty-nine chronic schizophrenic male out-patients and their relatives were interviewed separately to assess their perceptions of their current relationships. Two simple 5-point rating scales predicted the risk of psychotic exacerbation during a one-year follow-up: patients' perceptions of the relatives' attitudes towards them, and patients' own attitudes towards the relatives. Survival analysis of data in a 2 x 2 factorial--combining degree of contact with the key relatives and the patients' perceptions of their relatives--found that patients in frequent contact with a positively perceived relative had significantly better survival rates without psychotic exacerbation. Patients' perceptions of their relatives may help identify patients at risk of exacerbation of their illness.
