Coping styles to basic disorders among schizophrenics

Coping efforts to subjectively experienced basic disorders were investigated by self-report in 60 chronic schizophrenics in Japan, and the relationships to clinical and demographic variables, intelligence, personality, and attitude toward their illness were analyzed. Self-reports on coping efforts were obtained for more than half of all subjectively experienced basic disorders, and the predominant technique was reported to be the approach oriented towards problem-solving. Within each coping style, the behavioral change, divertive problem-solving approach correlated negatively with hospitalization and symptoms, and the struggle, problem-solving efforts without any effective results correlated positively with symptoms. Suggestions regarding integration of these self-efforts into psychosocial treatment of schizophrenia are discussed.