Investigating the relationship between transactional analysis ego states and the life positions of patients that were diagnosed with schizophrenia and their caregivers

Purpose: Investigating the relationship between transactional analysis ego states and the life positions of patients that were diagnosed with schizophrenia and their caregivers. Method: The study has descriptive relational type. The study was conducted between February 2021 and March 2022 on 90 patients that were diagnosed with schizophrenia at psychiatry polyclinic of Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital and their 90 primary caregivers. Data was collected using Personal Information Form for Patients, Personal Information Form for Caregivers, Ego States Scale, and Life Positions Scale. Data was assessed using SPSS 26 and analyzed with mean, t test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis. Findings: The nurturing parent state and I am OK life position of patients; adult ego state score and I am OK life position score of caregivers have the highest value. There is a negative relationship between the critical parent ego state and I am OK life positions of patients; scores on the life position scale and the adapted child life position scores of caregivers; adult ego state scores of patients and critical parent ego state scores of caregivers (p<0.05). There is no significant relationship between life positions of patients and caregivers (p>0.05). Result: Protective ego states and I am OK life positions of patients; adult ego states and I am OK life positions of caregivers are dominant. When critical parent ego of caregivers is dominant, adult ego states of patients weaken. There is no significant relationship between patients and caregivers in terms of their life positions. According to these results, psychiatry nurses are recommended to use data of this study on recognizing and improving ego states, life positions of patients and caregivers and the relationship between them.