Cognitive functioning correlates of self-esteem and health locus of control in schizophrenia

Abstract

Chien-Shu Wang,1 Jo Yung-Wei Wu,2 Wei-Chung Chang,3 Shu-Ping Chuang1 1Department of Psychiatry, Zuoying Branch of Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 2Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; 3Hsin-Jia Psychotherapy Clinic, Taitung County, Taiwan Aim: The study aimed to investigate the relationship among sociodemographic factors, neurocognitive factors, self-esteem, and health locus of control in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. We examined the self-esteem, internal health locus of control, and external health locus of control through sociodemographic and neurocognitive factors. Methods: Forty-six schizophrenic patients and 31 healthy residents from the community or hospital were recruited as the control group. All subjects participated in the self-esteem questionnaire, health locus of control questionnaire, and a series of neuropychological measures. Results: Multiple regression analysis revealed that inhibition of attention and external health locus of control were predictors for self-esteem (r=−0.30, P<0.05; r=0.41, P<0.01); inhibition of attention and external health locus of control were contributors for internal health locus of control (r=−0.43, P<0.01; r=0.61, P<0.001); and education was related to external health locus of control (r=−0.31, P<0.05). Conclusion: The current study integrated background characteristics and cognitive function to better understand the impact of self-esteem and health locus of control in schizophrenia. The findings indicated that inhibition of attention, external health locus of control, and education contributed to self-esteem, internal health locus of control and external health locus of control. However, the overall predicted variance accounted for by these predictors was small; thus, further research is necessary to examine imperative variables related with self-esteem and health locus of control in schizophrenia. Keywords: cognitive functioning, self-esteem, internal health locus of control, external health locus of control, schizophrenia