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Evaluation of the association between insight and symptoms in a large sample of patients with schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

M.A.F. De Hert ,
V. Simon ,
D. Vidovic ,
T. Franic ,
M. Wampers ,
J. Peuskens  and
R. van Winkel
M.A.F. De Hert*
Affiliation:
University Psychiatric Centre Catholic University Leuven campus Kortenberg, Leuvense Steenweg 517 3070Kortenberg, Belgium
V. Simon
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University Budapest, Balassa u. 6.1083Budapest, Hungary
D. Vidovic
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Hospital Vrapce, Bolnicka cesta 32 10 000Zagreb, Croatia
T. Franic
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Split School of Medicine, Spinciceva 1, 21 000 Split Croatia
M. Wampers
Affiliation:
University Psychiatric Centre Catholic University Leuven campus Kortenberg, Leuvense Steenweg 517 3070Kortenberg, Belgium
J. Peuskens
Affiliation:
University Psychiatric Centre Catholic University Leuven campus Kortenberg, Leuvense Steenweg 517 3070Kortenberg, Belgium
R. van Winkel
Affiliation:
University Psychiatric Centre Catholic University Leuven campus Kortenberg, Leuvense Steenweg 517 3070Kortenberg, Belgium Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, EURON, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, Maastricht University Medical Centre, PO box 616 6200MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
*
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +32 2 758 05 11; fax: +32 2 759 98 78. E-mail address:marc.de.hert@uc-kortenberg.be (M.A.F. De Hert).
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Abstract

Background

The objective of the present study was to examine the association of insight into the illness with demographic variables and symptomatology in a sample of 1213 patients with schizophrenia.

Method

Data were collected with the Psychosis Evaluation tool for Common use by Caregivers (PECC), a semi-structured interview evaluating five symptom domains of schizophrenia and the insight items ‘awareness of having a mental disorder’ and ‘attributing symptoms to a mental disorder’.

Results

Insight was positively associated with educational level and inversely with overall symptom severity, and the positive, negative, excitatory and cognitive symptom domains. At symptom level, the items ‘delusions’, ‘grandiosity’, ‘poor rapport’, ‘social withdrawal’ and ‘guilt feelings’ showed the strongest associations with both insight items. Overall, correlations between insight and symptomatology were modest, explaining less than 30% of the variance in insight.

Conclusion

Lack of insight in schizophrenia is partially explained by clinical symptoms and demographic measures.

Keywords

InsightSchizophreniaPsychosisClinical correlates
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 24 , Issue 8 , December 2009 , pp. 507 - 512
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier Masson SAS 2009

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