Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the moderating roles
of socioeconomic status (SES) and gender in the relationship between
the positive symptoms of patients with schizophrenia and their recollections
of parental acceptance-rejection in childhood.
Method: This study included 53 outpatients (20 females and 33 males)
who were diagnosed with schizophrenia at the Ankara University and
Ege University Faculty of Medicine Department of Psychiatry. Of the
participants, 22.6% were from low SES families, 55.7% were from
middle SES families, and 22.6% were from high SES families. The
relationship between the participants’ positive symptoms and recollections
of parental acceptance-rejection in childhood were assessed by the
Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms and the Adult Parental
Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire/Control.
Results: Compared to schizophrenia patients from middle and high
SES families, those from low SES families perceived their mothers and
fathers as more cold, neglectful, rejecting, and less controlling in their
childhood. Among the parental acceptance-rejection subscales, only
maternal indifferences/neglect was related to the participants’ positive
symptoms. A three-way interaction (moderated moderation) analysis
indicated that SES significantly moderated the effect of perceived maternal
neglect on positive symptoms for female, but not male, patients
with schizophrenia.
Conclusion: The severity of positive symptoms of female patients with
schizophrenia, especially those from low and middle SES families, may
be reduced by examining recollections of maternal neglect in childhood
and, if necessary, applying trauma or attachment-focused interventions.