Class drift and schizophrenia.
This study is part of an ongoing analysis of 207 children with schizophrenic mothers (high-risk subjects) and 104 low-risk controls begun in 1962 by Mednick & Schulsinger. The purpose of this study was to examine class mobility in schizophrenics, using a prospective paradigm. In the present study, 14 high-risk schizophrenics were matched with 14 high-risk non-schizophrenics and 14 low-risk non-schizophrenics on age, sex and social class origin. Groups were compared on highest class attainment and socio-economic status in 1972. Results indicated that while high-risk non-schizophrenics were comparable in class attainment to low-risk non-schizophrenics, the high-risk schizophrenics were downwardly mobile in comparison to their non-schizophrenic high-risk counterparts. The class drift hypothesis was thus supported.
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012306:Risk; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012923:Social Class; D012937:Social Mobility