Insight and the clinical outcome of schizophrenic patients

Joseph P. McEvoy, Susan Freter, Geoffrey Everett, Jeffrey L. Geller, Paul Appelbaum, L. Joy Apperson, Loren Roth

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

229 Scopus citations

Abstract

At the time of discharge from their index hospitalizations, 52 schizophrenic patients initially admitted for acute psychotic episodes were assessed on an Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire. When these patients were followed up 2V2 to BV2 years later, adequate information on their clinical courses and outcomes was available in 46 cases. A global assessment of aftercare environment was made in each case, reflecting the degree to which individuals other than the patient were helpfully invested in maintaining the patient in treatment, whether these individuals were in the patient’s living or treatment situations. Five factual outcome variables were also assessed: A) compliance with treatment 30 days after discharge; b) long-term compliance; c) whether or not patients were readmitted; d) readmissions per year; and e) percent of time spent in the hospital. As expected, aftercare environment was significantly related to outcome {p =.039). The overall relationship between insight and the outcome variables closely approached statistical significance (p =.053). Patients with more insight were significantly less likely to be readmitted over the course of follow-up. There was a trend for patients with more insight to be compliant with treatment 30 days after discharge. No significant interaction between aftercare environment and insight was found, suggesting that insight may influence outcome independently of aftercare environment.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)48-51
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of Nervous and Mental Disease
Volume177
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1989
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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