The spouses of depressive and schizophrenic patients. A controlled study

The personality structures and the well-being of the partners of a representative sample of 103 married depressive or schizophrenic hospitalised patients were examined. As a means of examination we used a semi-structured interview, the Giessen-test (Beckmann and Richter 1972, 1979) and the Eigenschaftswörterliste (Janke and Debus 1978). Concerning personality, the comparison of self-image of the partners with the patient's estimation of his or her spouse resulted in good mutual agreement. The spouses of schizophrenic and depressive patients differed neither as far as the average profiles were concerned nor according to the cluster-analysis findings. In addition to this, both groups differed only to a minor extent from a representative sample of the general population. Whereas personal attitude and the well-being of the marital partners were for the most part independent of the depressive or schizophrenic kind of illness, personality and well-being of the spouses correlated with the course of the illness. The more phases of illness the spouses had witnessed, the more unattractive, self-controlled and uncommunicative they proved to be and the less irritated and sensitive they were when the patient was hospitalised. These findings are discussed in the light of further research.