[Self healing attempts by schizophrenic patients].

Abstract

There has effectively been no investigation, at a systematic empirical level, whether schizophrenics possess self-help capability. Clinical observation and self description would seem to make its existence likely. This will first be shown on hand of the pertinent clinical literature. In an own investigation, which was based on a "Model of Vulnerability" (Zubin and Spring, 1977), 40 schizophrenics were questioned in accordance to the formulation provided in the Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire (Süllwold, 1977) about their compensatory efforts concerning subjectively experienced basic disorders Reaction time measurements served as indicators of schizophrenic vulnerability. All 40 patients reported awareness about compensatory efforts in regard to experienced disorders which they conceived to be danger signals. A clearly greater number of problem solving oriented (active) than non problem solving (passive avoidance) attempts were reported. They can provisionally be classified as "reinterpretation", "restructuring", "reality testing", "action displacement" or "search for action stereotypes".