Work

The role of PANSS-G12-rated clinical insight in self-reporting the impact of symptoms in patients with schizophrenia living in the community

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Impaired insight is common in schizophrenia and may influence the interpretation of patient-reported outcome measures, which are increasingly used in patient-centred care and research. However, little is known about how insight relates to self-reported symptom impact. This study examined this relationship in people with schizophrenia in community settings. Methods: Latent class analysis was applied to responses from 162 participants on the Patient-Reported Impact of Symptoms in Schizophrenia (PRISS) scale. Sociodemographic, clinical and functional disability variables were analysed as predictors of class membership. Insight was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) G12 item in a subset of participants. Invariance analyses evaluated the consistency of the latent class structure across samples and gender. Results: A four-class model was identified: Low symptom impact (50.62%); Disorganisation (26.54%); Suspiciousness (10.5%); and Severe (12.35%). The Severe clas showed a higher prevalence of clinician-rated negative symptoms. No association was observed between PANSS-G12-rated clinical insight and self-reported negative symptoms. The latent class structure was invariant across samples and gender, although women more frequently reported disturbance of volition, depression and feelings of guilt. Disability, psychological treatment and hospitalisation history were associated with class membership. Conclusions: Findings suggest that impaired PANSS-G12-rated clinical insight is associated with greater self-reported impact of disorganisation and suspiciousness, but not with the self-reported impact of negative symptoms. Four distinct profiles of symptom impact were identified, with self-reported depression being more prevalent in the most severe profile. These findings may support patient-centred assessment in schizophrenia.

Source: Schizophrenia Research Cognition

DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2026.100465