The development of interpersonal relationships in individuals with schizophrenia

THREE research assistants developed 2-week-long relationships with 15 patients with schizophrenia hospitalized at an inpatient psychiatric facility. Research assistants were assigned to no more than six patients during any one 2-week period. At the beginning and end of each 2-week relationship period, interactions between research assistants and patients were videotaped, and research assistants' negative and positive responses to patients were measured. Interaction partners' negative responses to patients increased over time. There were stable individual differences among patients in the degree to which they were liked by the research assistants and in how frequently research assistants made negative comments about patients. There were individual differences among research assistants in the degree to which they responded positively to patients. Patient strangeness and lack of pleasant conversational content were associated with the negative responses of research assistants.