title: A social path to functioning in schizophrenia: From social self-efficacy through negative symptoms to social functional capacity.
abstract: Self-efficacy is important to functioning in schizophrenia. The exact pathway is less clear, possibly because most studies used composite rather than domain-specific self-efficacy scores. We examined if a specific measure of social self-efficacy is more important to a social (from negative symptoms to social functional capacity) compared to a non-social (from neurocognition to non-social functional capacity) path to functioning. Associations between social self-efficacy and negative symptoms, neurocognition and social and non-social functional capacity were examined in a cross-sectional study of schizophrenia (n=51). Two models were investigated using bootstrapping methods to test for mediation. In Model I, social self-efficacy was entered as a mediator; in Model II as a predictor. Social self-efficacy was unrelated to neurocognition and non-social functional capacity. Associations with negative symptoms and social functional capacity were significant. Negative symptoms were found to mediate between social self-efficacy and social functional capacity. Support was found for a social path to functioning in schizophrenia, going from social self-efficacy through negative symptoms to social functional capacity. Our results are consistent with the idea that negative symptoms can develop as a reaction to self-defeatist beliefs. Future studies should use domain-specific self-efficacy to further understand predictors of functioning in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: anja.vaskinn@psykologi.uio.no.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaskinn
authors.affiliation: UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.affiliation: NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Ole A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Andreassen
authors.affiliation: NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Melle
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Kjetil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sundet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012917:Social Adjustment; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attitudinal beliefs; Functional capacity; Negative symptoms; Neurocognition; Schizophrenia; Self-efficacy; Social function