On autoprotective efforts of schizophrenics, neurotics and controls

Abstract

Autoprotective efforts of schizophrenics have hardly been systematically investigated until now, although the role of coping processes in regard to numerous psychic disorders is increasingly recognized. The investigation of autoprotective efforts, however, is of special significance in view of the different current formulations of the vulnerability stress concept of schizophrenia. Thus the cognitive disorders in the sense of information processing deficits among schizophrenics deserve our special attention, since they are described consistently as vulnerability characteristics and as cause of a heightened susceptibility to stress, and since they can be considered an explanatory basis for a wide range of subjectively experienced basic disorders of schizophrenia. In the present study the two disorder dimensions and the corresponding autoprotective efforts were investigated among 60 schizophrenic patients, 30 neurotic patients and 30 healthy controls. The schizophrenic patients had both significantly more experimental psychologically operationalized dysfunctions in information processing and subjectively experienced basic disorders. However, we found no correlation between the two levels of investigation. This may mainly be attributed to the fact that on the level of subjective experience the primary disorder, the perception of the disorder and the individual response to the disorder cannot be differentiated unequivocally. All of the schizophrenic patients reported consciously performed autoprotective efforts in regard to basic disorders. In this connection it is of interest that the schizophrenic patients had a significantly higher percentage of problem solving oriented attempts in comparison with the two non-schizophrenic comparison groups, and that this percentage even increased by a progressive amount of disorders. The schizophrenic patients experienced basic disorders with much more emotional tension and existential, ego-threatening anxiety. They were interpreted by the schizophrenic patients as danger signals, by the neurotic patients, however, predominantly as concomitant symptoms of their neurosis, whereas healthy persons comprehended them within the framework of ordinary psychological explanatory models. The relevance of these results in regard to further research in autoprotective efforts of schizophrenic patients and in their possible therapeutic implications is discussed.

Psychopathological Verbal Expression of Self-Perceived Stress in Three Groups of Psychotic Patients

“…Strictly speaking, the inventory collects some 'self-healing strategies' that the patient develops for compensation when experiencing certain danger signals [34], These and other strategies, also called 'autoprotective efforts', are performed consciously and are focused primarily on reducing emotional tension arising from the recognition of ba sic disorders [35], ultimately the stress level developed towards certain circumstances. Minimizing or avoiding stress reduces the risk of psychotic relapses, as several authors have pointed out [22.…”

Relationship between Subjective Cognitive Symptoms and Frontal Executive Abilities in Chronic Schizophrenic Outpatients

“…Reaction times (RT) on span of apprehension (SOA) and choice RT [14,23] were not associated with BS in schizophrenic inpatients. Similarly, no significant correlation has been detected between FCQ scores and RT or SOA measures in remitted schizophrenic, neurotic and healthy subjects [15]. But abnormal smooth pursuit eye movement (SPEM), contingent negative variation (CVN) and RT were significantly correlated with higher BS ratings 2 months after admission for an acute psychotic episode in schizophrenic and schizoaffective patients [16].…”

“…Following the pioneering work of Huber and Gross [13] in the 1950s, disorders in information processing and neuropsychological impairment reflecting cognitive vulnerability are hypothesized to be experienced on a subjective level [14][15][16]. Thus, research has begun to focus on these subjective experiences, other than hallucinations, delusions [17][18][19] or side effects of medication.…”

Relapse in young paranoid schizophrenic patients: a prospective study of stressful life events, P300 measures, and coping

“…The interviewer's written reports on the patients' answers were also evaluated by two expert psychiatrists separately, to identify the directivity and the level of coping strategies. For each basic symptom, the coping efforts were classified as "problem-centered" (directly aimed at modifying or eliminating the source of interference) or "non-problem-centered" (maintaining distance from whatever is experienced as stressful, i.e., withdrawal, avoidance, suppression, or other ineffective cognitive coping reaction), according to the method adopted by Brenner et al (26). Three further types of coping strategy were considered: behavioral (externally observable actions), cognitive (inner coping processes), and emotional (affective reactions).…”