Marcadores de vulnerabilidad/factores de protección en la prevención de la esquizofrenia

The main purpose of this study was to investigate both hypothetical schizophrenic vulnerability markers and protective factors. 32 children of both sexes were divided into three groups according to type and presence of psychopathology in their parents: 1) schizophrenia, 2) affective or hypochondriac psychiatric disorders, and 3) no psychopathology. A series of measures were used with the children to assess the following areas: a) hypothetical vulnerability markers, which include possible pre/peri/neonatal complications, neurological abnormalities, family problems (parent/child communication, parent/child relationship), attentional alterations (using an attention-span task), affective emotional disorders (trait/state anxiety, social anxiety), intelligence alterations (verbal/non-verbal), and possible school problems (difficulties in adjustment, poor academic performance, other behavioral difficulties) and b) possible protective factors, including self-efficacy and social support. Additionally, the children's level of daily stress was measured. Results showed that the children of schizophrenic parents were slightly different to the children in the two other groups, in the areas of self-perception and perception of the family environment, and in the trait anxiety measurement. There was a significant difference between these groups in the self-efficacy measurement.