Causes of schizophrenia - Patients' viewpoint

Objective: According to a quantitative study on causal beliefs patients with functional psychoses favour psychosocial over biological explanations. They also tend to endorse a multicausal concept. The aim of this study is to try to replicate these findings using semi-qualitative methods. Methods: Problem-centered interviews were conducted with 78 schizophrenic patients consecutively discharged from inpatient or dayhospital treatment. Results: As in the previous study, patients provided more frequently psychosocial explanations. Biological causes were relatively rarely mentioned - mostly in response to suggestions of the interviewer. In addition, they were rather brief and not very elaborated. By contrast to the previous study, hardly any indications for a multicausal concept could be observed. Discussion: Patients' beliefs are contrasted with the results of psychiatric research on the causes of schizophrenia.