title: The social network of patients with schizoaffective disorder as compared to healthy individuals.
abstract: The social network was evaluated by means of the self-rating scale 'Interview Schedule for Social Interaction' (ISSI) and semi-structured interviews in married patients with a DSM-III diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder (N = 17, partners, N = 16), married patients with diabetes (N = 10, partners, N = 10) and in married healthy individuals (N = 8, partners, N = 8). The two latter groups were comparison control groups matched for sex and age to the patients with a schizoaffective disorder. The scores on the ISSI and its subscales for the groups were compatible to those found in other Swedish studies. Patients with a schizoaffective disorder both experienced that they had less access to (AVAT) and were less satisfied with their deep emotional relations (ADAT). The same patients had a higher level of neuroticism as compared to the rest. The patients with a schizoaffective disorder had less often than the patients with diabetes been informed about their disease. Moreover, the partners to the patients with a schizoaffective disorder had not been informed about the disease and experienced that they had fewer social contacts (AVSI). A challenge for the professional network in psychiatry is to improve the information and education to families in which one member is struck by a schizoaffective disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Lund University, Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nettelbladt
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Svensson
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Serin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ojehagen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012803:Sick Role; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology