[The actual image of male patients with paranoid schizophrenia in perception of the patients themselves and their parents].

AIM The aim of this study was to answer following questions: Does the self-image of male schizophrenics differ from the image their parents have? Do parents judge their sons more negatively or more positively than they themselves do? Are opinions of the mothers and fathers different or consistent? METHODS 30 unmarried male patients with paranoid schizophrenia (diagnosis based on ICD-10) were included in the study. All subjects lived with their parental families. In all cases, families were complete. Subjects were aged 18-23 (x = 23.23). The mean time of duration of disease was 2.37 (range 0.5-5 years) and the mean hospitalization number was 1.7 (range 1-4). All subjects had completed primary education. 3 subjects graduated from university and the rest of them continued education in vocational or secondary schools as well as universities. The study was carried out during the last week before discharge from the hospital. The Adjective Check List (ACL) of Gough and Heilbrun was used in the study. Subjects filled out the questionnaire in accordance with instructions "I am" and parents in accordance with the instruction "My son is". Three different types of present images of patients were obtained: patient self-image, the image their mother and their fathers have and they were compared using ANOVA. RESULTS Comparison of actual self-images of male schizophrenics with present images of schizophrenics their mothers have revealed 26 statistically significant differences, and with present images of schizophrenics their fathers have revealed 23 statistically significant differences. The differences between images of schizophrenics obtained from their mothers and their fathers were statistically significant in 2 cases only. CONCLUSIONS Self-opinion of the males diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia is more positive than the opinion their mothers and fathers have of them. Self-images of the males diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and images their mothers have are different. Mothers have a more negative opinion of their sons than their sons have of themselves. Self-images of males diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and images their fathers have are different. Fathers have a more negative opinion of their sons than their sons have of themselves. Generally fathers and mothers perceive their sons in the same way.