EPA-1205 – Remission and Recovery in Schizophrenia: Associated Socio-Demographic and Clinical Features

Abstract

Introduction:

Recovery is an important concept in schizophrenia that has not been well defined or researched. It is crucial to determine its predictors.

Aims:

To determine sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with remission and recovery in a population of patients with schizophrenia.

Methods:

The design was an observational, cross-sectional and analytic study. We recruited all of the outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (according to DSM IV-TR) who consulted psychiatry ward F from the 1/2//2013 to the 31/3/2013. Clinical and sociodemographic data for patients were gathered using an ad-hoc structured questionnaire. Clinical remission was defined according to criteria from the Remission in Schizophrenia Working Group (RSWG). Recovery was defined according to the following criteria from a Meta-Analysis by Jääskeläinen et al. (2013): a clinical remission (RSWG criteria) with a social remission (Global Assessment of Functioning score >=61) and no hospitalisation in the last two years.

Results:

Our sample comprised 44 patient (65.9% were females and 34.1% were males). Remission was achieved in 36.4% of the cases and was correlated with paranoid schizophrenia (p=0.024) and schizoaffective disorder (0.02) diagnoses. Recovery was achieved in 15.9% of the cases and had higher rates in females (p=0.4).

Conclusions:

Better remission rates in paranoid schizophrebia and schizoaffective disorder is a finding which is broadly consistent with numerous previous studies. In opposite, the fact that female patients are more likely to achieve recovery remains controversial.