Baseline personality functioning correlates with 6 month outcome in schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
The assessment of outcome in schizophrenic patients should consider both the response to treatment and the recovery of social skills. The aim was to evaluate the outcome and related psychostructural and clinical factors in schizophrenic patients after they underwent 6 months of residential multimodal treatment.


METHODS
Fifty-two schizophrenic patients enrolled in a multimodal treatment program were included in the study. Symptomatology and social functioning were assessed with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS). The Karolinska Psychodynamic Profile (KAPP) was used for the psychostructural evaluation.


RESULTS
After 6 months there was a significant improvement in the global scores of BPRS, SOFAS, and some areas of KAPP. The personality (KAPP) and social-occupational functioning (SOFAS) at baseline (T0) correlated with the global score of BPRS at 6 months (T6); moreover, SOFAS at T6 correlated with BPRS and KAPP at T0 and with the illness duration.


CONCLUSIONS
The better the personality functioning in schizophrenic patients the better seems to be the response to treatment, with regard to symptoms as well as rehabilitation. Personality assessment might be useful for the individualisation of therapies, even within the context of a standardised program.
Fassino
Secondo
S
Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, V. Cherasco 11, CAP 10126 Turin, Italy. secondo.fassino@unito.it
Pierò
Andrea
A
Mongelli
Elena
E
Caviglia
Maria Luisa
ML
Delsedime
Nadia
N
Busso
Federica
F
Gramaglia
Carla
C
Abbate Daga
Giovanni
G
Leombruni
Paolo
P
Ferrero
Andrea
A
D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome