Pragmatic language behaviors of adults diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia

35 adults diagnosed with schizophrenia provided samples of narrative and co nversational discourse and completed a criterion-referenced test of pragmat ic language ability. There was a significant relationship between performan ce on pragmatic language tasks and perceived over-all functioning of schizo phrenic subjects as measured by psychological assessment. Subjects who were perceived as functioning at low levels on the Global Assessment of Functio ning Scale from the Diagnostic and 1994 Statistical Manual of Mental Disord ers had low self-disclosure in conversation, produced less information in n arratives, and produced more nonscorable items on a criterion-referenced te st of pragmatic language. Appropriateness of speech suprasegmentals was als o related to patients' perceived effectiveness as communicators as well as to their perceived over-all functioning as measured by the Global Assessmen t of Functioning Scale.