THE RELATIONSHIP OF SOCIAL NETWORK DEFICITS WITH DEFICITS IN SOCIAL FUNCTIONING IN LONG-TERM PSYCHIATRIC-DISORDERS

It has been suggested that deficits or impairments in social functioni ng may explain the depleted support networks of the mentally ill. With this in mind, 145 long-term users of day care psychiatric facilities, 57% of whom had a life-time diagnosis of schizophrenia, were examined to determine whether deficits in social and survival skills explained deficits in their social networks. Compared with patients with acute depression, long-term patients had smaller social networks. There was a very small but statistically significant association between observe r ratings of deficits in social functioning (daily social and living s kills) and self-reported family social networks size. Behavioural prob lems were also associated with smaller family networks. Among the long -term patients. duration of service contact and type of disorder (affe ctive vs nonaffective psychosis) were not related to network size. The se preliminary findings are discussed.