Group comparisons Sample Clauses

Group comparisons. The group of patients whose consultation included symptom discussion were compared to the group whose consultation did not include symptom discussion in order to establish whether there were fundamental differences between these two groups. Chi squared tests for independence and t-­‐tests indicated no differences between the groups on any demographic variables including age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, first language or employment status. In terms of clinical characteristics there were no differences between groups in illness history including weeks spent in hospital, number of hospital admissions or number of compulsory hospital admissions. However, clinical differences were evident between the two groups according to their scores on the PANSS whereby those patients whose consultation included discussion of present psychotic symptoms had significantly higher scores on the PANSS positive symptom scale (t (143) = -­‐6.13, p = .000) and the PANSS general psychopathology scale (t (143) = -­‐3.87, p = .000) than those whose consultation had no discussion of present psychotic symptoms. Overall there was a significant difference between the groups in the total score of the PANSS (t (136) = -­‐ 15.19, p = .000), but there was no significant difference between the groups on the PANSS negative symptom scale (see Table 4 for summary of group comparisons). There was no difference between the two groups in length of consultation. Furthermore, the ratings of the therapeutic relationship by both the patient and the psychiatrist following the consultation, as measured using the STAR, were compared between the two groups. There were no significant differences between groups on their ratings of the therapeutic relationship, suggesting that the presence of discussion of psychotic symptoms did not influence the experience of the consultation, in terms of the therapeutic relationship, for either the patient or the psychiatrist.