title: Maintenance of grip on life and goals of life: a valuable criterion for evaluating outcome in schizophrenia.
abstract: This article describes the evaluation of schizophrenia patients' maintenance of grip as a comprehensive assessment of the total psychosocial status of these patients. This evaluation was tested with new schizophrenic patients (DSM-III) who took part in a standardized interview at entry and after a 2-year follow-up. The interviews and examinations were conducted by the psychiatric teams responsible for the treatment of the patients. There was a clear positive correlation between the evaluation of maintenance of grip and interpersonal interaction, heterosexual development, hobbies, level of activity and productivity (working) of the patients, and a negative correlation with negative symptoms. The psychodynamically interpreted evaluation of the degree of regression correlated positively with maintenance of grip, but only after the 2-year follow-up. At entry the other variables describing the psychosocial status of the patient explained 22% of the variation in maintenance of grip, but 41% at the follow-up stage. The evaluation of maintenance of grip presented at baseline also predicted the coping of the patients during the follow-up stage. The authors recommend that the evaluation of maintenance of grip be used as an auxiliary tool in the assessment and treatment of schizophrenia patients.
authors: Department of Public Health, University of Tampere, Finland.
authors: R K
authors: RK
authors: Salokangas
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Räkköläinen
authors: Y O
authors: YO
authors: Alanen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004532:Ego; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011936:Reality Testing; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012917:Social Adjustment