J. Cullberg, A 3-DIMENSIONAL ETIOLOGIC VIEW OF THE SCHIZOPHRENIAS .2. HYPOTHETICALCLINICAL CONSEQUENCES, Nordic journal of psychiatry, 47(6), 1993, pp. 421-424
The schizophrenias constitute a heterogeneous, composite group, someti
mes with dominant signs of genetic vulnerability, sometimes with eleme
nts of brain damage, and sometimes with serious psychosocial problems.
Elements of various aetiologic dimensions will be decisive in the pro
gnosis and setting Of treatment goals: much speaks in favour of the ge
netically vulnerable patient as having a different long-term prognosis
from the patient who has an atrophic brain alteration. Furthermore, a
complicated childhood situation may have led to a personality disorde
r that may be enhanced in a psychotic direction by a genetic vulnerabi
lity. All these types can doubtless attain a good or improved level of
functioning, but the paths they must take differ, and experiences fro
m one group cannot as a matter of course be translated to another. Tle
type of psychotherapeutic and pharmacologic treatments and the needs
of the relatives also appear to be dependent on the type of disorder i
n question.