Insight in schizophrenia–course and predictors during the acute treatment phase of patients suffering from a schizophrenia spectrum disorder
Year: 2012
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: To analyse insight of illness during the course of inpatient treatment, and to identify influencing factors and predictors of insight. METHODS: Insight into illness was examined in 399 patients using the item G12 of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale ("lack of insight and judgement"). Ratings of the PANSS, HAMD, UKU, GAF, SOFAS, SWN-K and Kemp's compliance scale were performed and examined regarding their potential association with insight. The item G12 was kept as an ordinal variable to compare insight between subgroups of patients. RESULTS: Almost 70% of patients had deficits in their insight into illness at admission. A significant improvement of impairments of insight during the treatment (p<0.0001) was observed. At admission more severe positive and negative symptoms, worse functioning and worse adherence were significantly associated with poorer insight. Less depressive symptoms (p=0.0004), less suicidality (p=0.0218), suffering from multiple illness-episodes (p<0.0001) and worse adherence (p=0.0012) at admission were identified to be significant predictors of poor insight at discharge. CONCLUSION: The revealed predictors might function as treatment targets in order to improve insight and with it outcome of schizophrenia.
Source: European Psychiatry
Institutions: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Universität Hamburg, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, Stiftung Charité, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, University of Bonn, Evangelisches Krankenhaus Alsterdorf, University of Göttingen, University of Tübingen, University of Duisburg-Essen
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1998986694