Key message: In a study of patients in remission, those with residual symptoms had significantly worse global functioning that those without residual symptoms.
Background:
- Patients (aged 18–65) in remission with and without residual symptoms were compared regarding psychopathology, functioning and side effects (using t tests).
- 399 patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder were evaluated within a naturalistic study.
- 236 patients (59%) of patients were in remission at discharge with 94% of them had at least one residual symptom.
- Residual symptoms were defined as any symptom present at the time point of remission, therefore a PANSS item with a symptom severity of >1 (=at least borderline mentally ill) was defined to be a residual symptom.
- Remission was defined using the consensus criteria by Andreasen et al. (2005) as a PANSS score of 3 or less of the following items: delusions (P1), unusual thought contents (G9), hallucinatory behavior (P3), conceptual disorganisation (P2), mannerism/posturing (G5), blunted affect (N1), social withdrawal (N4) and lack of spontaneity (N6).
- Global functioning was assessed using the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF), and ratings were assessed by trained clinicians at baseline and subsequently every 2 weeks until discharge and at the 1-year follow-up.
References:
Schennach R, et al. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2015; 265(2): 107–16.
Andreasen et al. Am J Psychiatry 2005; 162(3): 441–449.