The Patient's Primary Group

Abstract

The size and utilization of the primary group (those with whom one has interaction and commitment) was examined in 50 patients with non-psychotic psychiatric disorder and 50 matched controls. The hypotheses tested were that the patients would have a smaller size of primary group, less contact with its members and an inferior affective quality of interaction with it; and that this deficiency would be most marked in transactions with the principal attachment figure. Patients were found to spend the same amount of time as normals with their primary group, but proportionately more of that time was affectively unpleasant. They had fewer good friends and fewer contacts with persons outside the household. They had fewer attachment figures, almost one half of them reporting that either they had only one, or that they had had no recent contact with those alternatives that did exist. The majority of patients considered that their principal attachment figures gave them insufficient support. The complexity of interpreting these data is discussed.