The Family and Schizophrenia Priority Areas for Intervention Research in India

The aim of the paper is to encourage and give some directions for research activities which might help us to understand the patterns of interaction in the families of Indian schizophrenics, thus paving the way for suitable intervention strategies. The Western studies implicating the role of family are examined for relevance to Indian patients. The methodology of studying family interaction is critically evaluated. The factors believed to be responsible for a better prognosis of schizophrenia in Indian context are outlined with the hope of discovering those family characteristics which might be protective against schizophrenia. It is pointed out that the co-operation of the Indian family should not be automatically assumed: the patient can, in fact, be a stressful burden. Finally, arisingout of observations made in the earlier sectors, the specific research directions are outlined.