Criterion B (social dysfunction) in persons with schizophrenia: the puzzle

Abstract

This review focuses on social dysfunction in persons with schizophrenia and addresses three main questions. What is the core ability that is disordered in social dysfunction according to mainstream paradigms? How is social dysfunction primarily assessed in current research? Which levels of personal experience, and which trans-personal and sub-personal factors, are assessed by mainstream empirical research? Empirical studies on social dysfunction include research on trans-personal factors (stigma, availability of social and psychiatric facilities, and family resources), sub-personal factors (neurocognition) and personal factors (social cognition, coping and noncognitive factors). The main recent findings of these approaches are described and commented upon. Inconsistencies between studies are identified. What is it like to be a person with schizophrenia in the social world? Building upon empirical research, we can finally address this question. We argue that more qualitative research is needed into the reasons that persons with schizophrenia have for adopting or embracing their given type of relatedness to the others.