Relationship between Disability and Psychopathology Severity in Subjects having Acute Exacerbation of Schizophrenia on Treatment over three Month’s Duration

Abstract

Introduction: Schizophrenia is a disorder which has a chronic course frequently with subjects having significant disability. Understanding what the symptoms during initial period are, which predict level of disability in future would be useful. Aim: To assess the change in disability and its correlation with psychopathology among patients with schizophrenia having acute exacerbation. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted among 40 patients admitted in the hospital for acute exacerbation of schizophrenia. The subject was assessed with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for Schizophrenia (for symptom severity), Schedule for Assessment of Psychiatric Disability (SAPD) scale (for disability). Then at the end of three months after first assessment the PANSS, SAPD were readministered. Paired t-tests for changes in severity of symptoms and Pearson’s correlation of statistics were used to assess relation between symptom severity and disability. Results: Forty patients were enrolled into the study, 3 did not complete the study. The PANSS positive subcategory score showed maximum change (mean=12.054, t=14.214, p<0.01). The SAPD change maximum was for behavioural functioning score (mean=7.783, t=12.337, p<0.01). Change in PANSS score correlation with endpoint SAPD showed total score, change in positive domain score, change in negative domain score had significant negative correlation to all disability domain scores. Conclusion: Improvement in disability in subjects having schizophrenia appears to be significantly related to negative symptoms, excitement symptoms and disorganization symptoms.

Keywords

• negative symptoms
• positive symptoms
• social outcome