title: Functional remission and employment among patients with schizophrenia in Malaysia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed to determine the rates of functional remission and employment as well as the factors associated with functional remission among patients with Schizophrenia, receiving community psychiatric service in an urban setting in Malaysia.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a total of 250 patients randomly selected, 155 fulfilled the study requirement and were assessed on their functional remission status using the Personal and Social Performance Scale. The relationships between functional remission and socio-demographic factors, clinical factors, social support, symptom remission and rates of hospitalization were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results revealed that 74% (n=115) of the respondents had functional remission with only 20% (n=31) currently employed. Functional remission was found to be significantly associated with good social support (84.4% versus 36.4% p<0.001, OR=9.487 [95% CI=4.008-22.457]); shorter illness duration of less than 10 years (81.2% versus 66.7% p=0.038, OR=2.167 [95% CI=1.035-4.535]); good medication compliance (79.1% versus 50.0% p=0.002, OR=3.778 [95% CI=1.570-9.090]); hospital admissions of lower than 3 per year (80.5% versus 44.4% p<0.001 OR=5.150 [95% CI=2.145-12.365]) and; symptomatic remission (87.3% versus 37.4% p<0.001 [95% CI=0.070 (0.029-0.168]). A multiple regression analysis revealed only social support, lower hospitalization rate and symptom remission, as significant predictors of functional remission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A majority of patients with Schizophrenia in this study achieved functional remission, however, only a small percentage of them were employed. Functional remission was influenced by severity of illness and levels of social support in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Rahima
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dahlan
authors.forename: Marhani
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Midin
authors.forename: Shamsul Azhar
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Nik Ruzyanei
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Nik Jaafar
authors.forename: Fairuz Nazri
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Abdul Rahman
authors.forename: Azlin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baharudin
authors.forename: Srijit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Hatta
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sidi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology; D011897:Random Allocation; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012074:Remission Induction; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support; D013997:Time Factors