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SOCIAL DYSFUNCTION AMONG PSYCHIATRIC AND NON‐PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENTS *
Author(s) -
Goodman Spencer P.,
Schulthorpe William B.,
Evje Margaret,
Slater Phillip,
Linn Margaret W.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1969.tb02324.x
Subject(s) - medicine , psychiatry , scale (ratio) , interpersonal communication , clinical psychology , multivariate analysis , interpersonal relationship , social work , psychology , social psychology , physics , quantum mechanics , economics , economic growth
A bstract There has been a need for a quantitative measure of social functioning in older subjects, in addition to the intuitive appraisal made possible by social work orientation. Our purpose was to determine, through the use of a newly developed scale, the dimensions and degrees of social dysfunction in schizophrenic and medical outpatients in a VA hospital. Three teams of two social workers interviewed 80 male subjects. One worker used the scale and another made only a global judgment or adjustment. Multivariate computer analysis showed that the ratings for emotional withdrawal, adaptive rigidity, lack of participation in the community, goallessness, and low self‐concept discriminated the two groups at beyond the .01 level. Total scores on the 21‐item scale correlated at r = .89 with the global judgments of adjustment made by social workers not using the scale. These results indicate validity for the scale, which measures dysfunction in personal, interpersonal, and performance areas. The findings also suggest that the scale—easily administered by social work practitioners—will lend itself to continuing research such as profiling samples of aging populations, or for teaching or diagnosis.