RELATION BETWEEN SYMPTOMS AND SOCIAL FUNC TIONING IN INDIVIDUALS WITHSCHIZOPHRENIA OR A MAJOR AFFECTIVE-DISORDER

With a view to examining the appropriateness of relying solely on phar macotherapy rather than on a program of multimodal therapy, the goal o f this study is to test the hypothesis that there is little relationsh ip between psychotic and affective symptoms on the one hand, and life skills and social functioning on the other. Eighty-four male subjects presenting a diagnosis of schizophrenia, mania or severe depression we re therefore recruited in hospitals in the Montreal region. The relati onships previously identified were studied, while factors likely to af fect them, such as the chronicity of the disorder, the level of intell ectual functioning, and the presence of additional symptoms, were cont rolled as necessary. The results suggest poorer social functioning amo ng the schizophrenics having a high level of negative symptoms. In add ition the relationship between negative symptoms and IQ suggests that the intellectual functioning of these individuals can potentially affe ct the acquisition of skills required for adequate social functioning. Among subjects with a major affective disorder, the results reveal po or social functioning even during quasi-asymptomatic periods. These re sults suggest that patients suffering from schizophrenia or a major af fective disorder require interventions aimed at increasing their level of psychosocial functioning.