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Social Relationships During the Onset and Remission of Neurotic Symptoms

A Prospective Community Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

A. S. Henderson
Affiliation:
N.H. and M.R.C. Social Psychiatry Research Unit
P. A. P. Moran
Affiliation:
Department of Statistics, Institute of Advanced Studies The Australian National University, Canberra 2600, Australia

Summary

In a prospective study of a community sample, we examined changes in social relationships accompanying the onset and remission of neurotic symptoms. For those who developed symptoms in the course of 12 months, no decrease was found in the availability or reported adequacy of either close or diffuse ties, compared to those who remained symptom-free. For those having a remission, an increase in the adequacy of social relationships and a decrease in rows was observed only in those who improved later on, at the 12-month interview. But with either the onset or remission of symptoms, the availability of relationships remained unchanged. These observations cannot establish the direction of causality, but suggest that neurotic symptoms are more associated with the perception of social relationships than with the structure of personal networks.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1983 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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