People with schizophrenia is a highly heterogeneous group. Identifying subtypes of people with schizophrenia before discharge may help develop targeted discharge plans.

To explore possible subtypes among people with schizophrenia before discharge by their self-management ability, self-efficacy and cognitive function status.

To identify possible subtypes among people with schizophrenia before discharge.

Totally, 150 Chinese people with schizophrenia before discharged from a tertiary psychiatric hospital in Beijing were assessed by Self-management Instrument for People with Schizophrenia and Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Cluster analysis using SPSS 20.0 package was performed to categorize subjects based on their scores.

Four different types of subjects were revealed. Type I low cognition with no participation (n = 25), patients’ self-management ability, self-efficacy and cognitive function were very poor; type II medium cognition with blind confidence (n = 42), patients’ self-efficacy was good, while self-management ability was poor and cognitive function is medium; type III high cognition with high level skill (n = 46), patients’ cognitive function, self-management ability and self-efficacy were good; type IV low cognition with medium level skill (n = 37), patients’ cognition was very poor, while self-management ability and self-efficacy were medium. These four types of subjects had significant differences in long-term use of antipsychotics and primary caregivers’ education level (P < 0.05).

The finding of different subtypes of people with schizophrenia presenting in this sample may help health professionals give effective screening and targeted discharge measures which can further promote patients’ recovery and reduce readmission rates.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.