الفهرس 
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Abstract
Deficit in interpersonal communications competence is as one of the key diagnostic criteria
of schizophrenia and it is widely found in patients with schizophrenia. For effective interpersonal
communications competence, there a set of skills including cognitive function and emotional
recognition ability. The emotional recognition is a crucial part of interpersonal communication
competence and plays a significant role in schizophrenia to form interpersonal relationships
through correctly interpret the emotions. The emotions can complement and regulate for verbal
communication (Mast & Hall, 2018; Schlegel & Hall, 2019).
The present study aimed to assess interpersonal communication competence and ability
of emotional recognition among patients with schizophrenia.
Materials & Method
This study utilized a descriptive research design. It was conducted at the outpatient
wards of El-Maamoura Hospital for Psychiatric Medicine in Alexandria.
The study subjects were a convenient sample of 270 outpatients with schizophrenia,
able to communicate in coherent manner, diagnosed with schizophrenia with no co-morbidity,
aging ranged between 20 – 50 years and willing to participate in the study.
The tools of study: In this study used three tools:
1- A socio-demographic and clinical data structured interview schedule to elicit sociodemographic
and clinical characteristics of patients with schizophrenia.
2- Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale (ICCS)
3- Bell-Lysaker Emotion Recognition Task (BLERT) was used. These tools were tested
for validity and reliability.
- Method used for data collection was personal interview with each patient. The
interview time ranged between 30-50 minutes.
- The data were collected over a period of three months and a starting from May 2021
until July 2021.
The following are the main results yielded by the study:
- The studied patients’ age of the studied patients ranged from 20 to 50 years with a mean
age of 35.57 ± 8.09 years. Meanwhile, 46.3 % of the studied patients were single. While
16.3% were married. 38.9%.
- Studied patients were read & write or illiterate 31.9% and the patients who have
university education were 6.3%.
- About two third of the studied patients 65.6% was currently unemployed and housewife
and pensioner was 14.1%.
- Duration of illness ranged from 1 to 34 years with a mean 15.07 ± 7.88 years. Half of
the studied patients 50% diagnosed with schizophrenia for more than 15 years.
- The beginning of illness ranged from 15 to 45 years with a mean age equal to 20.50 ±
4.04 years. Almost the studied patients 84.8% were in the age group between 15 and
less than 25 years at the beginning of illness. All studied patients were previously
admitted to El-Maamora hospital for psychiatric medicine. More than two third of the
studied patients 64.1% was hospitalized for more than 3 times.
- Most of the studied patients 82.2% didn’t receive ECT sessions and 97.4% didn’t
receive psychotherapy sessions.
- The total score of interpersonal communication competence ranged from 34 to 106 with
a mean score 47.28 ±6.91. The studied patients had low score of environmental control
99.3%, low score of empathy, social relaxation, assertiveness and expressiveness
98.1%, 98.9%, 98.5% and 98.1% respectively. 93.3% of the studied patients had low
score of immediacy, 73.7% had low score of self-disclosure, 71.9% had low score of
interaction management, 63.7% had low score of supportiveness and 74.4% had
moderate score of altercentrism.
- According to frequency of correct recognitions of emotions. 37.8% & 34.4% of the
studied patient can recognize one and two scenes of anger emotions respectively with a
mean score equal to 1.18 ± 0.84. 47.4% can recognize one scene of sad emotions =.
39.3% can recognize two scenes of disgust emotions =. 28.1% & 26.3% can recognize
one and two scenes of surprise emotions. Most of the studied patients 65.9% can
recognize three scenes of happiness emotion. The majority of the studied patient 84.4%
can’t recognize three scenes of fear emotion and more than half of the studied patients
61.9% can’t recognize three scenes of neutral emotion.
- There are positive significant correlations were found between overall interpersonal
communication competence and emotion recognition (r=0.659, P<0.001).
- There is relationship between emotion recognition ability of the studied patients with
schizophrenia and their socio demographic characteristics. The studied patients aged
from 20 to less than 30 years had highest score of emotional recognition ability (H=35.575,
p<0.001). The patients who had higher education had highest score in emotional
recognition ability (H=13.118, p=0.004). The studied patients who craft workers has
highest score of emotional recognition ability (H=7.195, p=0.027). The married patients
had the highest score all over emotion recognition ability (H=12.126, p=0.033) and the
patients who live with husband/wife had the highest score all over emotion recognition
ability (H=12.823, p=0.005).
- The studied patients who had duration of illness between 5 to less 10 years had highest
score of emotional recognition ability (H=34.299, p<0.001). The studied patients who
admitted psychiatric hospital only once had higher emotional recognition ability
(H=11.725, p=0.008). It also there is statistically positive significant relation between
emotion recognition ability and compliance with psychiatric medication (U=141.50,
p<0.001).
- As the studied patients aged from 20 to less than 30 years had the highest score of
interpersonal communication competence (H=37.424, p<0.001). The patients who had
higher education had highest score all over total score of interpersonal communication
competence (H=10.755, p=0.013). The patients who had duration of illness between 5
to less than 10 years had higher level of interpersonal communication competence
(H=21.904, p<0.001). The patients who admitted psychiatric hospital once had higher
level of interpersonal communication competence (H=12.712, p=0.005) and there is
statistical positive significant relation between interpersonal communication
competence and compliance with psychiatric medication (U=1079.50, p<0.001).
Accordingly, the following are the main recommendations yielded by the study:
1- Assessment of interpersonal communication competence and emotional recognition
needs to be incorporated into routine clinical assessment of patients with
schizophrenia, to consider appropriate psychiatric nursing care and interventions.
2- Integrating the relationship between interpersonal communication competence and
emotional recognition in nursing curriculum of Psychiatric Nursing and Mental Health.
3- Implementation of psycho-educational programs aiming to increase awareness of
patients and their families about interpersonal communication competence and its
effect on emotional recognition.
4- Employment and supportive financial incentive should be provided to patients with
schizophrenia who have interpersonal communication competence and emotional
recognition deficit.
5- Rehabilitation centers should be broadened in general and private hospitals to increase
interpersonal communication competence and emotional recognition.
6- Mass and social media should have a role in increasing awareness and providing
effective programs for helping the patients with schizophrenia to deal with the illness,
enhance interpersonal communication competence and emotional recognition to
improve their quality of life.