Abstract

CARVALHO, José Carlos; FREITAS, Paula Pinto  and  LEUSCHNER, António. Patients with schizophrenia and children. Revista Portuguesa de Enfermagem de Saúde Mental [online]. 2014, n.12, pp.9-16. ISSN 1647-2160.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia as a chronic disease affects the patient's ability at different levels and is associated to the overload of the family and society, arousing great concern in academic and professional contexts. The relationship between parents with schizophrenia and their children can be complex and influence the child development beyond heredity questions. AIMS: To study and characterize a group of patients with schizophrenia with sons aged between 6 and 18 years and still maintaining regular contact with them. METHODS: Based on a quantitative, analytical and descriptive study, the sample was composed of 38 patients with schizophrenia that lived with their children, identified in a large psychiatric hospital in Porto. The protocol data collection included socioeconomic and clinical characterization of patients and assessment tools functionality according to the DSM IV and family functioning with the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES IV). Ethical principles enshrined in the Declaration of Helsinki, were all respected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:Difficulties where identified regarding low socio-economic level, low educational / academic training and subsequent employment or access to the labor market. There were also referred difficulties of access to health services level and access to information about the disease, however the patients exhibit good levels of functionality and reveal an increased focus on protecting their offspring and have functional families (flexible and united) concern.

Keywords : Schizophrenia; Family; Father-child relations.

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