Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder associated with impairment in functioning. A multidisciplinary approach is essential to help individuals with this health condition, and psychological interventions are considered a priority. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) offers a theoretical framework for assessing functioning and disability. The ICF Core Sets for schizophrenia are a list of ICF categories describing the most common problems in functioning of persons affected by this health condition. This study aimed to explore the content validity of these ICF Core Sets and to identify the most common problems in people with schizophrenia from the perspective of psychologists. Psychologists with experience of schizophrenia treatment were recruited for a three-round Delphi study in order to gather their views regarding the problems commonly presented by these patients. A total of 175 psychologists from 46 countries covering the six WHO regions answered the first-round questionnaire, and 137 completed all three rounds. The 7,526 concepts extracted from first-round responses were linked to 412 ICF categories and 53 personal factors. Consensus (≥75% agreement) was reached for 76 ICF categories and 28 personal factors. Seventy-three of the 97 ICF categories that form the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for schizophrenia achieved consensus, and only three categories that yielded consensus do not feature in this Core Set. These results support the content validity of these ICF Core Sets from the perspective of psychologists. This provides further evidence of the suitability of the ICF framework for describing functioning and disability in persons with schizophrenia.
Highlights
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that afflicts more than 21 million people worldwide [1]
Regarding Personal factors, which are not classified in the ICF, 33 concepts were presented to the experts, and 28 of these yielded consensus. This validation study highlights the functioning-related issues that psychologists encounter in their work with individuals with schizophrenia and considers the extent to which these aspects are covered by the ICF Core Sets for schizophrenia
We will focus on comparing our results with the categories featured in the Comprehensive ICF Core Sets (ICF-CSs) for schizophrenia
Summary
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that afflicts more than 21 million people worldwide [1]. It has a multifactorial etiology, with numerous individual variables interacting with several environmental factors [2]. The disorder is characterized by the presence of delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, abnormal motor behavior (including catatonia), and negative symptoms[3]. This wide range of symptoms can be present in different combinations[4], patients across the schizophrenia spectrum commonly experience impairments, limitations, and restrictions in major areas of functioning (such as education, work, interpersonal relations, or self-care). Better and more targeted treatment of these areas would help to decrease the stigma that surrounds this illness and empower patients to improve their quality of life [5]
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