Evaluation of the association between insight and symptoms in a large sample of patients with schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND
The objective of the present study was to examine the association of insight into the illness with demographic variables and symptomatology in a sample of 1213 patients with schizophrenia.


METHODS
Data were collected with the Psychosis Evaluation tool for Common use by Caregivers (PECC), a semi-structured interview evaluating five symptom domains of schizophrenia and the insight items 'awareness of having a mental disorder' and 'attributing symptoms to a mental disorder'.


RESULTS
Insight was positively associated with educational level and inversely with overall symptom severity, and the positive, negative, excitatory and cognitive symptom domains. At symptom level, the items 'delusions', 'grandiosity', 'poor rapport', 'social withdrawal' and 'guilt feelings' showed the strongest associations with both insight items. Overall, correlations between insight and symptomatology were modest, explaining less than 30% of the variance in insight.


CONCLUSIONS
Lack of insight in schizophrenia is partially explained by clinical symptoms and demographic measures.
De Hert
M A F
MA
University Psychiatric Centre, Catholic University Leuven campus Kortenberg, Leuvense Steenweg 517, Kortenberg, Belgium. marc.de.hert@uc-kortenberg.be
Simon
V
V
Vidovic
D
D
Franic
T
T
Wampers
M
M
Peuskens
J
J
van Winkel
R
R
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001364:Awareness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires