Prospective memory predicts the level of community living skills in schizophrenia

Abstract

Schizophrenia patients are known to have prospective memory (PM) deficits. There is no robust evidence showing that PM deficits have a major impact on community living skills in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to examine the association between PM and community living skills in schizophrenia. Forty-four individuals with schizophrenia formed the study sample. Participants׳ psychopathology, prospective and retrospective memory, level of intelligence, and community living skills were measured with standardized instruments. In bivariate analyses, community living skills overall but not self-care correlated with PM total and subscales scores. In multivariate analyses, event-based PM was more predictive than time-based PM of the level of community living skills. In conclusion, PM has a significant impact on community living skills in schizophrenia and attention should be paid to this type of memory disturbance in rehabilitation of schizophrenia.