LIFE EVENTS PRECEDING RELAPSE OF SCHIZOPHRENIA

In this study, retrospective assessment of life events over a period o f one year was carried out in two groups of schizophrenic patients. Ea ch group had 30 patients. One group comprised ''relapsing'' schizophre nics and the other consisted of ''stable'' patients. The group of ''re lapsing'' schizophrenics had experienced a significantly greater numbe r of life events and also had a significantly higher stress score than the ''stable'' group. However, analysis of the distribution of life e vents over the study period of one year showed no increase in the freq uency of occurrence of life events in the three months prior to relaps e. Similarly, no such significant increase in the stress score was see n in the same period of time in the group which had relapsed. Treatmen t compliance and stress scores accounted for nearly 40% of the varianc e of the data in the ''relapsing'' group. Implications of the findings are highlighted.