Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: Twenty years ago, there were about 10 empirical studies in the research literature on the common problem of poor insight into illness in schizophrenia (see Amador et al1). There were, however, numerous case studies and theoretical papers that never questioned the causes or broader impact of this clinical feature on the course of illness, functioning, and interpersonal relationships. Although authors such as Moreau de Tours in the 19th century and Mayer-Gross in the beginning of the 20th century recognized the importance of the subjective experience of recognizing one’s illness for diagnosis and treatment, it was after Kraepelin that the field first recognized the tremendous barrier to accepting and staying in treatment that poor insight causes. In the 70s, poor insight was reported to be one of the 3 most discriminating symptoms for schizophrenia diagnosis among psychotic disorders.2 Despite any empirical studies of causes, there was a rush to judgment regarding etiology: poor insight was psychotic denial, a copying strategy. Some years later, there were more than 200 studies of insight in the peer reviewed scientific literature! When one of us (X.A.) was asked to cochair the text revision of the Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR, APA Press, 2000), so that it reflected scientific consensus, we assembled a group of schizophrenia experts to serve as peer reviewers. Ten years ago that group opined that the scientific literature supported the following statement:
Source: Schizophrenia Bulletin
Authors: C. Arango, X. Amador
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2118682244