Disability among schizophrenics in a rural community: Services and social support

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Formerly hospitalized schizophrenics referred to a rural North Carolina Community Mental Health Center for aftercare were interviewed for evidence of disability in social functioning and for information on the extent and quality of their community ties. Of the 103 respondents, 25% were classified as severely disabled. Inadequate functioning was significantly (r < .001) associated with a low level of social support, whether this was measured by the amount of recent interaction with associates or by qualitative indices of respondents' beliefs about and attitudes toward intimates. Psychiatric treatment histories for these respondents were summarized from service records. There were no statistically significant differences between the disabled and nondisabled on the basis of duration or number of hospitalization experiences, amounts or categories of outpatient care, or intake of medication. The two groups were similar in terms of age, sex, and race.

This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit: