Social Competence of Female Psychiatric Patients: A Study of Sociability, Social Presence, Socialization, Diagnoses, and Age of Onset of Psychosis

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
This study evaluated levels of social competence of 90 female psychiatric patients as it relates to diagnosis and age of onset of illness. Subjects in three diagnostic categories were studied: non-paranoid schizophrenia, paranoid schizophrenia, and bipolar affective disorder. Measures of discriminant analysis and central tendency indicate that varying scores of sociability, social presence, and socialization are associated with specific diagnoses and ages of onset of psychosis, beyond expected levels of probability. The results of this research encourage examination of diagnosis, age of onset of psychosis, sociability, social presence, and socialization in determining the composition of heterogeneous and homogeneous psychosocial activities treatment groups in occupational therapy. Further studies are recommended to foster understanding of evaluation and treatment of social competence factors.