Life skills profile of patients with schizophrenia and its correlation to a feeling of rejection among key family carers

BACKGROUND: The behaviour of patients with schizophrenia is of great concern to key family carers. Life skills profile (LSP) is the measure that has considerable importance in assessing the functioning of people with schizophrenia in the community. AIM: To assess the sociodemographic correlates of LSP, and to find the correlation between LSP and the rejection response of key family carers. METHODS: The LSP of 48 patients with chronic schizophrenia (29 men and 19 women) was assessed. The rejection responses of key family carers (28 men and 20 women) were evaluated using the Patient Rejection Scale. RESULTS: The LSP did not significantly differ on the variables of gender, income level or attendance of day-care centre. However, there were differences between patients from urban and rural areas. A new dimension of family harmony, added as a subscale to LSP, also did not show any significant difference on the above variables. The rejection responses of key family carers were found to be significantly related to the LSP of the patients and, among the subscales, family harmony and communication were positively related to rejection. CONCLUSION: Though family interventions have been found to have positive implications on relapse and social functioning of patients with schizophrenia, a model of a family intervention programme for families of patients with schizophrenia needs to be developed.