This study examines questions about the relationship between social stratification and social class, on the one hand, and the etiology and symptomatology of psychiatric illness, on the other. Participants are drawn from a large sample of psychotic disorder patients (Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Other DSM-III Axis I disorders). We use structural equation modeling (LISREL) for determining the pathways by means of which socioeconomic status of the patients' family of origin is associated with the patients' socioeconomic status at the time of admission into a psychiatric facility. Differences in the fit of the models among specific samples of psychotic disorders (e.g., Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder) are also investigated.
A second aim of this project is the relationship between social stratification and the behavior of psychotic patients (e.g., aggressive behaviors). Methods involved in these analyses include linear and logistic regression modeling.
