Περίληψη:
Foulds’ model proposing a four-class hierarchical structure of mental
illness represents an interesting dimension of psychiatric research and
discussion and probably has a significant potential on diagnosis,
taxonomy, therapeutics and theory. Psychiatric symptoms were
Investigated In a group of 244 schizophrenic patients with the purpose
of analyzing Foulds and Bedford’s notion that psychiatric symptoms are
arranged hierarchically. To achieve this the R (recent) version of the
Delusions, Symptoms, States, Inventory (DSSI) was administered in the
form of a constructed interview to these patients. The hierarchical
arrangement of psychiatric symptoms was verified since a great majority
of the cases (80.8%) produced symptom patterns conforming to the
hierarchy model. However, patients with duration of illness longer than
10 years reported conforming patterns in a lower percentage (77%),
whereas 84.6% of those with a duration of illness less than 2 years
reported conforming patterns. The non-conforming patterns were those in
which integrated delusions were absent in the presence of delusions of
disintegration, neurotic symptoms were absent in the presence of
integrated delusions, and dysthymic states were absent in the presence
of neurotic symptoms. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales
Elsevier SAS.
