소아 . 청소년 정신과 입원환자에서의 입원치료를 통한 통제소재의 변화

Changes of Locus of Control in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients

Locus of control (Rotter 1966) was measured in 35 hospitalized children and adolescents at the time of admission and discharge. The study subjects were divided into 4 groups • schizophrenia, conduct disorder, non-psychotic group other than conduct disorder, and psychotic group other than schizophrenia. Changes of score in locus of control were compared among the groups and according to age, sex and other sociodemographic variables. Brief summary of the results is as follows • 1) There was no significant difference in the score of locus of control according to age and sex, However the score tends to be lower, i.e. more internal, in the subjects of more educated parents. 2) Among 4 diagnostic groups, the subjects of conduct disorder group showed the lowest scores (more internal). 3) The subjects, in general, exhibited a tendency to change from external toward internal locus of control during hospitalization. The change was more evident in the subjects of psychotic groups than non psychotic groups, in males than in females, in the chlinically improved subjects than non improved, and longer hospitalized than shorter hospitalized. It is suggested that the locus of control in hospitalized adolescents tends to change form external to internal by psychiatric inpatient threatment and the change may reflect the clinical improvement.