Journal of International Psychiatry

Objective: To investigate the status quo and influencing factors of friendship quality in female patients with schizophrenia. Methods: The defense Style Questionnare, Interpersonal Response Indicator Scale, Egna Minnen Av Barndoms Uppfostran, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Friendship Quality Inventory were used to compare the friendship quality of 97 patients with schizophrenia (case group) and 55 healthy women (control group), and the difference factors were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Results: The score of Immature defense mechanism and physical neglect in case group were higher than that in control group (P < 0.05), the total score of friendship quality was lower than that in control group (P < 0.01), meanwhile, total score of empathy and preference of parents were lower than that in control group (P < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis of the difference factors between case and control group have been used, which showed that emotional empathy (pain) could negatively predict friendship impairment (OR=0.80, P＜0.05), and physical neglect in childhood traumatic experiences could positively predict friendship impairment (OR=1.25, P＜0.01). Conclusion: In female schizophrenic patients, the quality of friendship was impaired, emotional empathy may reduce the damage of friendship, and physical neglect was an independent risk factor for the impairment of friendship.

Empathy; Female; Quality of friendship; Schizophrenia