Dyadic adjustment in parents of schizophrenics.
OBJECTIVE
To study the dyadic adjustment in couples with a schizophrenic offspring.


METHODS
140 married couples, 67 with children with schizophrenia, and two control groups: 41 couples without pathology and 32 couples with pathology, were assessed with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale.


RESULTS
The couples with a schizophrenic offspring evidenced significantly worse dyadic adjustment than did the normal controls, especially low consensus and cohesion in husbands, and low cohesion and satisfaction in wives. Anxiety and depression in mothers of schizophrenics is significantly higher than in mothers of controls.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the poor dyadic adjustment of the parents with a schizophrenic offspring could be an effect of the burden.


CONCLUSIONS
The treatment on the schizophrenia should be supplemented by interventions aimed at parents' dyadic adjustment, and mothers' anxiety and depression, so that they can be in better conditions to help their child.
Espina
Alberto
A
Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, Faculty of Psychology, Avenida de Tolosa 70, 20018 San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, Spain. ptpeseia@ss.ehu.es
Ortego
Asunción
A
Ochoa de Alda
Iñigo
I
González
Pilar
P
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia