A Study of Personality Structure of Schizophrenia Patients on Rorschach Psychodiagnostic Test

Abstract

Background : TheRorschach test is a most widely used psycho-diagnostic tool by researchers and clinicians in the field of mental health. It is a very useful projective test to assess the structure of personality with particular emphasis on how individuals construct their experiences and meaning assigned to their perception. Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder in which thought and perceptual disturbances are quite common. A sudden change in personality and behaviour occurs when patients with schizophrenia lose touch with reality Aim : This study was designed with the aim to asses and compare Rorschach response pattern in the cases with schizophrenia and normal controls. Method : The sample consisted of 30patients with schizophrenia and 30 normal subjects selected by using purposive sampling technique. Rorschach Inkblot Test was administered on patients and normal subjects to assess the structure of the personality. General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ) was administered as a screening tool in the group of normal control subjects. Results : Results showed that there is a significant difference between patients with schizophrenia and normal control subjects in terms of variables of Reaction Time, Location, Developmental Quality, Determinants, Contents, Form Quality, Popular Responses and Special Scores. Conclusion : In comparison to normal control subjects, patients with schizophrenia exhibited significant poor performance on Rorschach Psycho-diagnostic Test and on the basis of this poor performance, patients with the schizophrenia could be differentiated from the normal control subjects. Key Words : Rorschach profile, schizophrenia, personality