A scale to measure the impact of a schizophrenic illness on an individual's self-concept.

This study was conducted to assess the reliability and validity of the Modified Engulfment Scale (MES) which measures the impact of schizophrenia on self-concept. The concept of engulfment offers a theoretical framework for understanding how a person's self-concept incorporates the experience of mental illness. In a homogeneous sample of 100 outpatients with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III-R diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder increased engulfment was found to correlate positively with hopelessness and low self-esteem and negatively with self-efficacy. In addition, clinical findings revealed that increased levels of engulfment were associated with an earlier age of onset, a longer illness, a greater number of hospitalizations and decreased social adjustment. These results suggest that individuals with a more severe form of the illness are vulnerable to engulfment. The study results also show substantial evidence for the reliability and validity of the MES.