Sources of social support and clinical and functional evolution of people with schizophrenia

Purpose: The impact of social support on comprehensive measures of results (clinical and functional) of the course of schizophrenia was studied, understood and evaluated as a multidimensional construct differentiating sources of support (family vs. nonfamily). Methods: One hundred fifty-two patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were assessed with the Mannheim Interview on Social Support (MISS) and the Social Functioning Scale (SFS). The hypotheses were explored in a prospective longitudinal design, using a causal correlational analysis for their evaluation by applying structural equation models. Results: The only explanatory factor of social functioning was Nonfamily social support, while the only explanatory factor of clinical result measurements was Family social support, observing a clearly differentiated impact of the different sources of support on the schizophrenia result measurements. It was also found that while Family social support explained 6.8% of the variance in the clinical result measurements, Nonfamily social support explained 13.7% of the variance in social functioning. Conclusion: The results confirmed the differential importance of social support variables (family vs. nonfamily) in the clinical and functional result measurements of people with schizophrenia.

Automated summary

This study aimed to examine the impact of social support on comprehensive measures of clinical and functional outcomes in patients with schizophrenia, differentiating between family and nonfamily sources of support. In a prospective longitudinal design, 152 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were assessed using the Mannheim Interview on Social Support (MISS) and the Social Functioning Scale (SFS). The results showed that nonfamily social support was the sole explanatory factor for social functioning outcomes, while family social support was the sole explanatory factor for clinical outcome measurements, indicating a differentiated impact of support sources on schizophrenia outcomes. Additionally, family social support explained 6.8% of the variance in clinical outcomes, while nonfamily social support explained 13.7% of the variance in social functioning. The findings highlight the differential importance of social support variables (family vs. nonfamily) in assessing clinical and functional outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia.