[Change in social networks due to psychoses]

The paper presents the network concept and filters research results according to practical relevance. By way of introduction, the concept of the social network SNW is briefly outlined in terms of its origins and significance. The "socially intact" network of 25 - 40 individuals, of which 15 - 20 % are very close and familiar, is compared with that of people suffering from schizophrenia, averaging 13 individuals. The changes are compiled according to the individuals involved, the type of relationship, and the type of perception. Outcome-relevant results of the network research are summarised on a general basis and according to the parameters social support, social and family contacts, distribution by sex, symptoms, and relatives. The changes in the network in the course of the disease and their importance are described separately according to the phases premorbid phase, prodromal phase, early psychosis, untreated psychosis, first phase of treatment, and long-term phase, illustrating their importance in the context of the overall pathological process. Possibilities of intervention in the SNW are outlined for the phases premorbid, prodromal, onset of the first episode, chronicity development, and existing chronicity. The conclusion rounds off with a brief enumeration of the often lacking intervention options in the German-speaking world.