title: Association between social contact frequency and negative symptoms, psychosocial functioning and quality of life in patients with schizophrenia.
abstract: The lack of social contacts may be an important element in the presumed vicious circle aggravating, or at least stabilising negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. A European 2-year cohort study collected negative symptom scores, psychosocial functioning scores, objective social contact frequency scores and quality of life scores every 6 months. Bivariate analyses, correlation analyses, multivariate regressions and random effects regressions were conducted to describe relations between social contact and outcomes of interest and to gain a better understanding of this relation over time. Using data from 1208 patients with schizophrenia, a link between social contact frequency and negative symptom scores, functioning and quality of life at baseline was established. Regression models confirmed the significant association between social contact and negative symptoms as well as psychosocial functioning. This study aimed at demonstrating the importance of social contact for deficient behavioural aspects of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School Public Health, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: siegrika@uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Siegrist
authors.affiliation: Creativ-Ceutical, 215 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, 75008 Paris, France. Electronic address: ami@creativ-ceutical.com.
authors.forename: Aurelie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Millier
authors.affiliation: Creativ-Ceutical, Tunis, Tunisia. Electronic address: iam@creativ-ceutical.com.
authors.forename: Ikbal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Amri
authors.affiliation: Creativ-Ceutical, 215 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, 75008 Paris, France. Electronic address: sab@creativ-ceutical.com.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aballéa
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Santé Publique, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France. Electronic address: mondher.toumi@emaud.org.
authors.forename: Mondher
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toumi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior
keywords: Emotional withdrawal; Negative symptoms; Schizophrenia; Social contact