Causes of schizophrenia reported by family members of urban African American hospitalized patients with schizophrenia

Family members often provide psychosocial support and assistance in seeking treatment for individuals with schizophrenia. It is crucial to understand what family members believe to be the causes of schizophrenia, as this likely influences the family's help-seeking decisions. The aim of this descriptive study was to investigate the causes of schizophrenia reported by family members of African Americans hospitalized with schizophrenia. Sixty-one family members of 38 patients with a first episode or an acute exacerbation of persistent illness were administered a survey containing 30 possible causes of schizophrenia from 5 categories. The sample endorsed predominantly biologic causes. Many family members also endorsed personality and societal causes, as well as family and esoteric causes. Compared with family members in the persistent group, family members in the first-episode group were more likely to select personality or societal causes in addition to biologic causes. These results provide insight into the etiologic beliefs of a sample of African American family members. Further research is needed to assess the potential influence of these beliefs on treatment seeking on the part of the family.