The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics of released psychiatric patients and their relatives that are associated with success in remaining in the community and obtaining employment. 2 IS male patients were studied at the time of release and followed for 1 yr. 11 and 13 variables were significantly (p < .05) correlated with community stay and employment, respectively. The predictor intercorrelation matrix was factored, and patients were scored on the resulting 6 Varimax factors. A series of regression analyses was run using these factor scores as independent variables. Distress/Alienation and Drinking/Antisocial Behavior were the most important predictors of length of community stay; Chronicity/Severity of Disorder and Simple-Mindedness were the most important predictors of employment.

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Systematic study of Rado's idea that anhedonia plays a central role in the development of schizophrenia has lagged for want of a suitable operational definition. Therefore, seven measures appearing to reflect anhedonia were intercorrelated and factor analyzed. The resulting varimax factors were named: Apathy vs Cheerfulness, defined by Psychotic Inpatient Profile and Nurses' Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation items, Gurel's Goalless Apathy Scale and a Fun-seeking rating; and Apathy vs Energy, defined by Goalless Apathy, the Elgin Interests Scale, Fun-seeking, and a specially constructed MMPI scale. It is suggested that anhedonia might best be considered as a multivariate dimension but that, where a single definition is desired, the scales defining the second factor may be the most appropriate.

The scores of 104 consecutively released nongeriatric psychiatric patients on the California Psychological Inventory, the Waco Social Adequacy Scale, Opinions about Mental Illness Scale (administered to relatives also) and background variables were correlated with success or failure in achieving a 9-month uninterrupted stay in the community after release. Only the Waco, OMI Authoritarianism, Benevolence, and Social Restrictiveness, and 4 of the background variable correlated significantly (p < .10) with the criterion. Multiple-regression analyses were performed with selected sets of predictor variables. The optimal combination of patient variables yielded a multiple R of .52, and the OMI scores of relatives yielded a multiple R of .26.

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