title: Is it true remission? A study of remitted patients affected by schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders.
abstract: To date, few studies have reported analytical data relating to clinical remission, functional remission and subjective experience. The present study aimed to investigate these aspects in a sample of chronic outpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  112 schizophrenic or schizoaffective outpatients (Males=60; Females=52; mean age 43.5 ± 9.42 yr) were evaluated with regard to symptomatology (SCID-I; PANSS, CGI-SCH scales), functioning (PSP scale), subjective wellbeing (SWN-K scale) and Quality of Life (WHO-QoL-Bref scale).
  
  
  RESULTS
  50% of patients were found to be in remission. Significantly higher scores at PANNS, CGI-SCH, PSP, but not at SWN and WHO-QoL, were found among remitted patients; a relevant proportion of remitted subjects continued to manifest a moderate level of symptoms (score >3) both at PANSS (35% of cases) and CGI-SCH (29% of cases), significant functional impairment (total score <70) at PSP (68% of cases ), and a lesser degree of wellbeing (total score <80) at SWN-K (34% of cases).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  patients in whom clinical remission was confirmed may display persisting symptoms, relevant areas of functional impairment and a decreased sense of wellbeing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine-Section of Psychiatry, University of Cagliari, Via Liguria 13, 09127 Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pinna
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deriu
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lepori
authors.forename: Raffaela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maccioni
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Milia
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sarritzu
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tusconi
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carpiniello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012074:Remission Induction; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents
keywords: Functioning; Quality of life; Remission; Schizoaffective disorders; Schizophrenia; Subjective well-being; Symptomatology