Psychoaffective immaturity in psychiatric disorders

This study investigated the prevalence of psychoaffective immaturity and te sted the hypothesis that it associated with bad prognosis. For 135 psychiat ric patients meeting criteria for personality, neurotic, affective, substan ce use, or psychotic disorders emotional immaturity was rated using the 198 5 diagnostic criteria of Doutheau, Dubertret, Moutin, and Barrois. 58 subje cts (42.96%, 95% Confidence Interval: 34.61-51.31) were classified as immat ure. Scores of the Nonimmature and Immature groups were compared for the Be ck Depression Inventory and the Professional and Social Functioning Assessm ent Scale. Scores were, respectively, significantly high er and lower in th ose patients classified as Immature than those who were classified Nonimmat ure. When depression was controlled by a covariance analysis, the mean diff erence on the Professional and Social Functioning Assessment Scale remained significant. It appears that psychoaffective immaturity is a factor associ ated with severity of psychiatric disorders.