The Factor Structure of Disability in Schizophrenia

Abstract A cluster analysis of the Life Assessment Scale for Mental Illness revealed 11 categories, including social adaptation, personal hygiene, basic conversation skills, using social resources, and coping with changes at work. Nine of these 11 clusters or categories differentiated persons with schizophrenia who were institutionalized from those who were participating in community-based rehabilitation or work activities, thereby providing discriminative validity to the Scale. In addition, gender was a discriminating factor for 3 of the clusters. Shorter lengths of hospitalization were positively related to levels of social adjustment.