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Social Environment and Longevity in Schizophrenia

From the Department of Psychology (A.J.C., R.D., S.L.E), The University of Iowa, and Department of Psychiatry (S.K.S.), The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa.

Address reprint requests to: Alan J. Christensen, PhD, Department of Psychology, E11 Seashore Hall, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242. E:mail: alan-christensen{at}uiowa.edu

OBJECTIVE: The role of social support as a predictor of long-term survival among patients with schizophrenia was examined.

METHODS: Social histories were abstracted from the medical records of a cohort of 133 deceased schizophrenic patients admitted for inpatient treatment between 1934 and 1944. Two independent raters assessed the quantity and quality of support available in each patient’s social environment.

RESULTS: Cox regression analysis revealed that higher quantity of social support was significantly related to survival time (p < .05) after controlling for marital status and quality of support. The Cox model indicated that a 1-point increase in the support quantity rating was associated with a proportional 25% decrease in the hazard rate.

CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that social environment, specifically the quantity of social support available to the patient, may impact longevity in psychiatric populations.

Key Words: schizophrenia, • survival, • social support, • psychiatric populations.

Abbreviations: ICD-9 = International Classification of Disease;; SPSS = Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.

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