Impaired Social and Role Function in Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis and First-Episode Schizophrenia: Its Relations with Negative Symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
Psychosocial dysfunction was a nettlesome of schizophrenia even in their prodromal phase as well as first episode and its relations with psychopathology were not determined. The aim of the present study was to examine whether the social and role function impairment was found in ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR) individuals as well as first-episode schizophrenia patients and to explore its relations with psychopathology.


METHODS
Thirty-seven normal controls, 63 UHR participants and 28 young, first-episode schizophrenia patients were recruited. Psychosocial functioning was examined by using Global function: Social and Role scale. Psychopathologies of positive, negative and depressive symptom were also measured.


RESULTS
Social and role functioning in UHR were compromised at the equivalent level of those of first-episode schizophrenia patients. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that social and role dysfunction was associated with negative symptoms in each UHR and first-episode schizophrenia group.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the significant impairment of social and role function may be appeared before the active psychosis onset at the level of extent to those of first-episode schizophrenia patients. The psychosocial intervention strategy especially targeting the negative symptoms should be developed and provided to individuals from their prepsychotic stage of schizophrenia.
Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
So Jung
SJ
Lee
Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Republic of Korea.; Section of Self, Affect and Neuroscience, Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Kyung Ran
KR
Kim
Section of Self, Affect and Neuroscience, Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.; Department of Psychiatry, Cheil General Hospital & Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Su Young
SY
Lee
Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Republic of Korea.; Section of Self, Affect and Neuroscience, Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.; Graduate Program in Cognitive Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Suk Kyoon
SK
An
First episode; Role dysfunction; Schizophrenia; Social dysfunction; Ultra-high risk