The Relationship Between Social Dysfunctioning and Psychopathology among Primary Care Attenders

Abstract

The extent of social dysfunctioning and its relationship to psychological disorders among Dutch primary care patients was examined. Social dysfunctioning in these patients was rather limited, but was more pronounced in patients with a psychological disorder than in those without. Disabilities were largely restricted to the occupational and social roles, with family role functioning and self-care relatively intact. Social dysfunctioning was moderately related to psychopathology, with higher levels of dysfunctioning in more severe and depressed cases. The extent of social dysfunctioning among patients with both anxiety and depression was similar to that of patients with a single diagnosis of depression. Depressed patients had a similar level of dysfunctioning to non-psychotic psychiatric out-patients. Analyses regarding the effects of diagnosis and severity on social dysfunctioning revealed considerable overlap between these two aspects of psychopathology. This study supports the need for a simultaneous but separate assessment of psychopathology and social dysfunctioning. However, future research should incorporate additional predictors of social dysfunctioning (e.g. personality, life events, long-term difficulties, physical disorders), and prospective studies should be conducted to clarify the temporal sequences of symptom severity, diagnosis, and comorbidity on the one hand, and social dysfunctioning on the other.