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Sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with relapse in schizophrenia
Author(s) -
CHABUNGBAM GOBIND,
AVASTHI AJIT,
SHARAN PRATAP
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2007.01722.x
Subject(s) - schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , positive and negative syndrome scale , psychopathology , psychiatry , global assessment of functioning , clinical psychology , schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia , psychology , medicine , psychosis , anxiety
The aim of the present study was to examine sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with relapse in schizophrenia. The study group consisted of a convenience sample of 40 schizophrenia patients (20 patients each in relapse and remission). Relapse and remission were defined based on clinical criteria (ICD‐10 criteria, course since last episode, and duration of remission) and psychometric criteria (scores on Socio‐Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale [SOFAS] and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia [PANSS]). The index group was evaluated after the occurrence of current relapse but within 6 months of its onset. Sociodemographic, current psychopathology (PANSS) and functioning (SOFAS), and other (mainly retrospective) variables were assessed with a specifically designed clinical profile sheet, Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Lifetime version, Presumptive Stressful life Events Scale, and World Health Organization Life Chart Schedule for Assessment of Course and Outcome of Schizophrenia. Patients who had relapsed were more symptomatic and exhibited greater dysfunction in comparison to remitted patients. Relapse in schizophrenia was significantly associated with unemployment, number of psychotic episodes, side‐effects of medication, and life events score. The present findings suggest that a severe illness (no. psychotic episodes, unemployment), psychological stress and inappropriate treatment (side‐effects of medicines) may be causally related to relapse in schizophrenia. However, the possibility that these variables may be caused by relapse or may be explained by a common underlying variable needs to be assessed prospectively.