Marriage and the development of schizophrenia

The families of orientation of schizophrenic patients have already been the subject of much research. By shedding light on the nature of the disturbed interactions between parents and children, such research has added greatly to our understanding of the psychodynamics of schizophrenia. This research has also provided a basis for the development of the family therapy of schizophrenic patients. However, little attention has so far been given to the psychydynamic study of schizophrenic patients' own marital relationships. Yet the study of the mutual relationships of patients and their spouses--particularly in cases where the psychosis set in only after the patient was already married--might elucidate the problems associated with the onset of schizophrenia and, at the same time, be of significance for family therapy. The present paper, which reports a study of 30 married couples in which one spouse had fallen ill with schizophrenia during the marriage, had its origin in expectations of this kind.