title: A systematic review and meta-analysis of recovery in schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our primary aims were (a) to identify the proportion of individuals with schizophrenia and related psychoses who met recovery criteria based on both clinical and social domains and (b) to examine if recovery was associated with factors such as gender, economic index of sites, and selected design features of the study. We also examined if the proportions who met our definition of recovery had changed over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comprehensive search strategy was used to identify potential studies, and data were extracted for those that met inclusion criteria. The proportion who met our recovery criteria (improvements in both clinical and social domains and evidence that improvements in at least 1 of these 2 domains had persisted for at least 2 years) was extracted from each study. Meta-regression techniques were used to explore the association between the recovery proportions and the selected variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 50 studies with data suitable for inclusion. The median proportion (25%-75% quantiles) who met our recovery criteria was 13.5% (8.1%-20.0%). Studies from sites in countries with poorer economic status had higher recovery proportions. However, there were no statistically significant differences when the estimates were stratified according to sex, midpoint of intake period, strictness of the diagnostic criteria, duration of follow-up, or other design features.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the best available data, approximately, 1 in 7 individuals with schizophrenia met our criteria for recovery. Despite major changes in treatment options in recent decades, the proportion of recovered cases has not increased.
authors.affiliation: These authors contributed equally to the article.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jääskeläinen
authors.forename: Pauliina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Juola
authors.forename: Noora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hirvonen
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.forename: Sukanta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isohanni
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Veijola
authors.forename: Jouko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miettunen
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012559:Schizophrenia