Abstract
21 psychiatric patients hospitalized in a state institution for at least 3 yr. (LH group) were compared in regard to their psychological distance with 38 patients who had been in private hospitals for less than 3 mo. (SH group). Psychological distance was determined by means of a modified version of Kuethe's social schemata technique which calls for replacement of pairs of figures on a field. Although LH patients were significantly older than SH patients, it was demonstrated that age was not significantly related to distance responses. The SH group consistently placed the figures further apart than the LH, suggesting that long-term hospitalized patients have more of a desire for social involvement than patients hospitalized for briefer periods of time. The possible effects of differential severity of symptoms, differences in the social climate of the hospitals, and prolonged relative social isolation were discussed.
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