Social Functioning In Schizophrenia Research Articles

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms interact with disorganization in influencing social functioning in schizophrenia

Objective Recent research has suggested a dual impact of obsessive-compulsive dimension on functioning in schizophrenia with a gradual transition from an improving to a worsening effect depending on obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) severity (from mild to moderate-severe). Aim of the present study was to investigate whether this varying effect of OCS on functioning might be mediated or moderated by schizophrenia symptom dimensions or occur independently. Method Seventy-five patients affected by schizophrenia were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment. The sample was divided into two groups according to the severity of OCS (absent/mild and moderate/high OCS group). Results In both groups, the effect of OCS on functioning was not mediated by their effect on positive, negative or disorganization symptoms. Conversely, a significant interaction between OCS and disorganization dimension was found: the dual effect of OCS on functioning occurred only among patients with low disorganization symptoms while it was no more apparent at high levels of disorganization. Conclusion Data suggest that in patients with functioning at least in part depends on the interaction between disorganization and OCS. Particularly, since mild OCS contribute to lesser functional decline in patients with low disorganized psychosis, they may favor the constitution of a subtype of schizophrenia with a better functioning. In keeping with the historical concept of pseudoneurotic schizophrenia, we speculate that obsessive dimension might have a pathoplastic influence, balancing the effect of low disorganization symptoms.

Theory of Mind and social functioning in schizophrenia: correlation with figurative language abnormalities, clinical symptoms and general intelligence.

Over past few decades, studies displayed Theory of Mind (ToM) as a system, including cognitive and affective features, rather than an unitary process. Within domains defining social cognition, ToM stands for the best predictor of poor social functioning in schizophrenia. The current study aimed to explore competence in ToM tasks, in metaphorical and idiomatic language identification tasks and in a conversational rules observance test, as well as relationship with social functioning, in a group of outpatients suffering from schizophrenia. METHODS.: 30 outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia and 24 healthy subjects have been recruited. Both groups underwent TIB as premorbid IQ evaluation, PANSS, Theory of Mind Picture Sequencing Task, a metaphors and idiomatic expressions comprehension test and a conversational test. Social functioning was assessed with PSP. Results.Mean values of premorbid IQ showed no significant difference between patients and control group. In ToM and pragmatic competence tasks, differences between groups resulted in high significance, due to patients' lower performance. A correlation between metaphors and idiomatic expressions comprehension and second order false beliefs was detected. PSP showed a correlation with PANSS and cognitive-ToM, whereas leaving aside affective-ToM. Results showed how people affected with schizophrenia, in stable clinical condition, do have clear impairments in ToM and figurative language comprehension assignments. In our theoretical framework, correlation arisen between cognitive-ToM, pragmatic deficits, clinical status and social functioning level suggests usefulness of rehabilitative interventions to recover metacognitive functions and pragmatic abilities, in order to reduce social disability in schizophrenia.

The Comparative Effects of Risperidone Long-Acting Injection and Paliperidone Palmitate on Social Functioning in Schizophrenia: A 6-Month, Open-Label, Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of risperidone long-acting injection (RLAI) and paliperidone palmitate (PP) on non-acute-phase social functioning in patients with schizophrenia. Patients and Methods: In this 6-month pilot, open-label, randomized controlled study, 30 patients with schizophrenia who had been treated with RLAI were randomly allocated to the RLAI continuation group or switched to the PP group. Patients were evaluated at baseline and 6 months with the Social Functioning Scale (SFS) as the primary outcome variable and University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment Brief (UPSA-B), Social Emotional Cognition Task (SECT), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and Drug-Induced Extrapyramidal Symptoms Scale (DIEPSS) scores as secondary outcomes. Results: At baseline, the two groups did not significantly differ in demographic or clinical features. The two groups did not differ in total score changes for the UPSA-B, the SECT, the PANSS, and the DIEPSS. However, the total scores and the two subscales of the SFS, i.e. independence-competence and independence-performance, were more improved in the PP group compared to the RLAI group (total scores, p = 0.038; competence, p = 0.001, and performance, p = 0.007, respectively). Conclusion: These results suggest that PP may improve the total social functioning, independent life competence, and performance as compared to the RLAI group. However, these results are preliminary and need independent replication in larger samples before any definitive statement can be made.

Obsessive–compulsive symptoms interact with disorganization in influencing social functioning in schizophrenia

ObjectiveRecent research has suggested a dual impact of obsessive–compulsive dimension on functioning in schizophrenia with a gradual transition from an improving to a worsening effect depending on obsessive–compulsive symptoms (OCS) severity (from mild to moderate–severe). Aim of the present study was to investigate whether this varying effect of OCS on functioning might be mediated or moderated by schizophrenia symptom dimensions or occur independently. MethodSeventy-five patients affected by schizophrenia were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale and the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment.The sample was divided into two groups according to the severity of OCS (absent/mild and moderate/high OCS group). ResultsIn both groups, the effect of OCS on functioning was not mediated by their effect on positive, negative or disorganization symptoms. Conversely, a significant interaction between OCS and disorganization dimension was found: the dual effect of OCS on functioning occurred only among patients with low disorganization symptoms while it was no more apparent at high levels of disorganization. ConclusionData suggest that in patients with schizophrenia, functioning at least in part depends on the interaction between disorganization and OCS.

Decreased Functional Connectivity in Schizophrenia: The Relationship Between Social Functioning and Graph Theoretical Network Measures

Event Abstract Back to Event Decreased Functional Connectivity in Schizophrenia: The Relationship Between Social Functioning and Graph Theoretical Network Measures Burak Erdeniz1*, Emin Serin1, Yelda İbadi2 and Cumhur Tas2 1 İzmir University of Economics, Psychology, Türkiye 2 Üsküdar University, Türkiye Background: Schizophrenia is a complex disorder where abnormalities in brain connectivity and social functioning play a central role. Currently, brain structures and mechanisms related to social functioning in schizophrenia are being intensively studied. However, the relationship between social functioning, and topological properties of brain functional networks remain still not well understood. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between complex network characteristics such as small-world network properties and social functioning in schizophrenia. Methods: We tested this hypothesis by comparing differences in functional network topology and its correlation to clinical and behavioral measures in 23 patients diagnosed with Schizophrenia and 23 healthy controls during resting state. Resting-state fMRI time series data were acquired from 23 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (14 male, 9 female) and 23 healthy volunteers (14 male, 9 female). Results: The results revealed that patients with schizophrenia show significantly decreased connectivity in a diversity of brain regions that include mainly the right orbito-frontal cortex, bilateral putamen and left amygdala. Furthermore, topological properties of functional brain networks in patients with schizophrenia characterized by reduced average path length compared to Healthy controls but no significant difference was found for clustering coefficient, local efficiency and global efficiency. However, when we analyzed nodal efficiency and nodal degree, we found significantly lower nodal efficiency and nodal –degree particularly in bilateral putamen and left amygdala in patients with Schizophrenia. Conclusion: These findings are consistent with previous studies that support disconnectivity hypothesis. The current results will help us to improve our understanding about the missing link between social cognition deficits and topological brain measures in Schizophrenia. Keywords: default-mode, graph theory, fMRI, small-world, Schizophrenia Keywords: Default-mode, graph theory, fMRI, Small-world, Schizophrenia Conference: SAN2016 Meeting, Corfu, Greece, 6 Oct - 9 Oct, 2016. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation in SAN 2016 Conference Topic: Oral Presentations Citation: Erdeniz B, Serin E, İbadi Y and Tas C (2016). Decreased Functional Connectivity in Schizophrenia: The Relationship Between Social Functioning and Graph Theoretical Network Measures. Conference Abstract: SAN2016 Meeting. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2016.220.00074 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 01 Aug 2016; Published Online: 01 Aug 2016. * Correspondence: Dr. Burak Erdeniz, İzmir University of Economics, Psychology, İzmir, Türkiye, burak.erdeniz@ieu.edu.tr Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Burak Erdeniz Emin Serin Yelda İbadi Cumhur Tas Google Burak Erdeniz Emin Serin Yelda İbadi Cumhur Tas Google Scholar Burak Erdeniz Emin Serin Yelda İbadi Cumhur Tas PubMed Burak Erdeniz Emin Serin Yelda İbadi Cumhur Tas Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

A Field For Psychiatric Nurses: Emotion Recognition and Social Functioning in Schizophrenia

A Field For Psychiatric Nurses: Emotion Recognition and Social Functioning in Schizophrenia

Anticipation and experience of emotions in patients with schizophrenia and negative symptoms. An experimental study in a social context

Negative symptoms play a central role in the impairment of social functioning in schizophrenia. Healthy individuals use anticipated emotions to guide their decisions to seek out social interactions. It is unknown whether social withdrawal in negative symptoms is related to a biased anticipation of emotions that will arise in social situations. This study thus examined differences between patients with negative symptoms of schizophrenia and healthy controls in the anticipation and experience of positive and negative emotions related to a social interaction.In a between-subject factorial design, participants were instructed to either predict or to experience emotions related to a simulated social inclusion and exclusion interaction.Overall, patients anticipated more intense negative emotions than controls. Divided by the type of social situation, however, patients reported less intense positive emotions than controls with regard to social inclusion, but not with regard to social exclusion.The lack of an overall deficit in anticipation of positive emotions speaks against the assumption that anticipation abnormalities in negative symptoms are due to a neurocognitive deficit. Rather, the findings seem to reflect negative beliefs about potentially rewarding social situations in people with negative symptoms.

Metacognition in Relation to Cognitive and Social Functioning in Schizophrenia

The aim of the current study is to examine metacognitive functioning in people with schizophrenia, in the light of everyday functioning. More specifically, links with several cognitive domains (i.e., attention, executive functioning and processing speed) and social functioning are analyzed using linear regressions. Based on previous literature, a close relationship between social and cognitive functioning is expected, as well as a mediation effect of metacognition on this relationship. The present findings suggest however, that cognition, social functioning, and metacognition are not related. Therefore, the model in which metacognition mediates the relationship between cognitive and social functioning in people with schizophrenia does not hold.

Anhedonia in the psychosis risk syndrome: associations with social impairment and basal orbitofrontal cortical activity.

Background/Objectives:Anhedonia is associated with poor social function in schizophrenia. Here, we examined this association in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders, taking into account social anxiety. We then explored correlations between anhedonia and basal metabolic activity in selected forebrain regions implicated in reward processing.Methods:In 62 CHR individuals and 37 healthy controls, we measured social adjustment (Social Adjustment Self-Report Scale), social and physical anhedonia (Chapman Revised Anhedonia Scales), and social anxiety (Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents) in cross-section. In a subgroup of 25 CHR individuals for whom high-spatial-resolution basal-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were available, we also assessed correlations of these socio-affective constructs with basal cerebral blood volume in orbitofrontal cortex and related regions involved in reward processing.Results:Relative to controls, CHR individuals reported social impairment, greater social and physical anhedonia, and more social anxiety, exhibiting impairments comparable to schizophrenia. Regression analyses showed that anhedonia predicted social impairment and correlated negatively with basal cerebral blood volume within the orbitofrontal cortex (all P’s<0.05).Conclusions:Anhedonia and social anxiety are prominent in CHR individuals. Trait-like anhedonia may be a core phenotype related to orbitofrontal cortical function that, independent of symptoms, predicts social impairment. These data provide a rationale for interventions that target anhedonia and related activity in orbitofrontal cortical circuits in CHR individuals.

Tackling Social Cognition in Schizophrenia: A Randomized Feasibility Trial.

Social cognition difficulties in schizophrenia are seen as a barrier to recovery. Intervention tackling problems in this domain have the potential to facilitate functioning and recovery. Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) is a manual-based psychological therapy designed to improve social functioning in schizophrenia. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a modified version of SCIT for inpatient forensic wards. The potential benefits of the intervention were also assessed. This study is a randomized single blind controlled design, with participants randomized to receive SCIT (N = 21) or treatment as usual (TAU; N = 15). SCIT consisted of 8-week therapy sessions twice per week. Participants were assessed at week 0 and one week after the intervention on measures of social cognition. Feasibility was assessed through group attendance and attrition. Participant acceptability and outcome was evaluated through post-group satisfaction and achievement of social goals. The intervention was well received by all participants and the majority reported their confidence improved. The SCIT group showed a significant improvement in facial affect recognition compared to TAU. Almost all participants agreed they had achieved their social goal as a result of the intervention. It is feasible to deliver SCIT in a forensic ward setting; however, some adaptation to the protocol may need to be considered in order to accommodate for the reduced social contact within forensic wards. Practice of social cognition skills in real life may be necessary to achieve benefits to theory of mind and attributional style.

Obsessive-compulsive symptom severity in schizophrenia: a Janus Bifrons effect on functioning.

The impact of obsessive-compulsive symptoms on functioning in schizophrenia is still debated. This study investigated the relationship between OC symptoms and functioning along a severity gradient of obsessive-compulsive dimension. Sixty patients affected by schizophrenia completed the SCID-IV, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale. The relationship between functioning and obsessive-compulsive dimension was described by a reverse U-shaped curve; functioning was positively related to the presence of mild obsessive-compulsive symptoms and inversely related to moderate and severe symptoms, after controlling for the severity of positive, negative, disorganization and general psychopathological symptoms. The role of obsessive-compulsive symptoms on social functioning in schizophrenia occurs along a severity continuum with a gradual transition from a positive correlation (from absent to mild symptoms) to an inverse correlation (for symptoms ranging from moderate to severe) and independently from schizophrenia symptom dimensions.

Social impairment in schizophrenia: new approaches for treating a persistent problem.

Deficits in social cognition are an important determinant of social functioning in schizophrenia, a core feature of the illness that persists despite treatment. Recent research in neuroplasticity-based therapeutics shows that neural systems supporting core cognitive skills improve after targeted cognitive training, suggesting that social cognition, and concomitant social functioning, may be improved by targeting the neural systems supporting social cognition. However, the success of this approach depends on the extent to which the social brain is malleable. We review the neural effects of training programs focused on improving social cognition in healthy, schizophrenia, and other clinical samples. The current literature suggests that the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition show neuroplastic changes after behavioral training and these neural changes confer concomitant benefits to social cognition and social behavior. Most research in schizophrenia has focused on emotion recognition, and although emotion recognition training has behavioral and neural benefits for schizophrenia, more advanced social cognitive processes need to be examined. The data suggest that targeting neural systems underlying social cognition through socially focused behavioral interventions may improve social functioning impairments in schizophrenia. Questions remain regarding how to optimize training, which should be addressed in future work.

Social Competence Versus Negative Symptoms as Predictors of Real World Social Functioning in Schizophrenia

Social deficits are common in people with schizophrenia and the treatment of social skills deficits has been a long-time treatment strategy. However, negative (i.e., deficit) symptoms also appear to contribute to social dysfunction. In this study, we combined data from three separate studies of people with schizophrenia (total n=561) who were assessed with identical methods. We examined the prediction of real-world social functioning, rated by high contact clinicians, comparing the influence of global and specific ratings of negative symptoms and performance-based assessments of social skills on these social outcomes. Negative symptom severity accounted for 20% of the variance in social outcomes, with social competence adding an incremental 2%. This 2% variance contribution was the same when social competence was forced into a regression model prior to negative symptom severity. When we examined individual negative symptoms, prediction of social outcomes increased to 28%, with active and passive social avoidance entering the equation, and the influence of social competence was unchanged. Adding depression into the predictor model improved the prediction of social outcomes significantly, but minimally (4% variance). These data suggest that negative symptoms exert a substantial influence on social outcomes and that depression and social skills exert smaller, but independent influences. Treating negative symptoms appears to be a possible path for improving social outcomes.

Theoretical Background and Treatment of Social Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia- What is Known and What is Needed?

Desipte the effective symptomatic treatment of schizophrenia, poor functional outcomes are still a challenge. Neurocognition has been identified for a long time as a main background factor of these. According to the findings the neurocognitive aspects are not suitable to explain all the functional deficits of patients with schizophrenia. For this reason an other aspect of the cognition need to be investigated to understand our patients: the social cognition. The developement of social cognitive interventions has also recieved growing attention in schizophrenia research in the recent years. We reviewed the literature and collected information about the theoretical background of social cognitive impairments and social cognitive treatments. Our aim was to produce an integrative overview of the above mentioned theories and present new treatment possibilities. PubMED suggested relevant studies, exploring the role of social cognitive impairments and efficacy of remediation programmes aimed at improving social cognition. We got a comprehensive view of psychopathological, neuroanatomical and theoretical aspects. Our findings supported the determinig role of social cognitive impairments in schizophrenia and the importance of new treatment approaches. The overview revealed significant effects of treatments on ToM, emotional recognition, social perception and attributional style. The social cognition is a notable field of the cognition in schizophrenia. Remediation programs are promising approaches to improve social functioning in schizophrenia, and probably a useful strategy for early treatment in psychosis, however according to our overview more researches are neccessary to elaborate definitional and methodological inaccuracies and eliminate uncertanity of effecacy.

Social Functioning in Schizophrenia: the Role of Emotion Recognition Abilities

Introduction One of the current concerns in the research on schizophrenia is the relationship between social functioning and emotion recognition abilities, more specifically of the role that this can have, as a potential pathway for building subsequent psychosocial intervention methods. Objectives To establish the precise role that the ability to recognize emotions has on social functioning in subjects with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia. Aim To help develop psychotherapeutic intervention programs that will increase social functioning. Method This paper analyzed a sample of subjects (N=31) with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia (according to the WHO ICD 10), who were selected based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. The following parameters were assessed: socio-demographic (gender, age of onset, level of education, family and professional status), social functioning (SFS scale) and the ability to identify emotions in the eyes (‘Reading the Mind in the Eyes’ test). Results The ability of recognizing the emotion ‘anger’ is directly correlated with the ability to communicate and keep interpersonal relations (Spearman R = 0.310, p Conclusion We noted that ‘anger’ is the only emotion that was correlated with social functioning. Anger must be understood beyond its negative connotation, also as a positive element, in the sense of positioning the individual in the society and of taking action in regard to personal needs.

The Polish Academic Version of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB): Evaluation of Psychometric Properties.

Work and social functioning in schizophrenia are strongly influenced by cognitive impairment so improving cognition is a priority in the treatment of schizophrenia. Until recently the lack of a widely accepted index of cognitive change for use in schizophrenia was a major obstacle to the development of cognition enhancing treatments. The MATRICS (measurement and treatment research to improve cognition in schizophrenia) consensus cognitive battery (MCCB) was developed as a standard cognitive battery for use in clinical trials of cognition enhancing treatments for schizophrenia and has attracted worldwide interest. To analyze the reliability and validity of a translated and adapted Polish approved academic version of the MCCB. Sixty one patients were assessed at baseline and again after 30 days. The study protocol approximated the MATRICS psychometric and standardization study; the 10 tests that comprise the MCCB were administered to participants. Functioning and psychopathological symptoms were also assessed. Patients and test administrators also assessed the tolerability and practicality of all the cognitive tests. All tests in the battery were found to have high test-retest reliability. All the tests were rated as tolerable and practical by patients and administrators. However practice effects were generally higher in the Polish version of the MCCB than in the original version. Our analysis corroborates previous evidence that the MCCB represents a good tool for assessing cognitive deficits in research studies of schizophrenia also in non-English speaking countries.

Social competence versus negative symptoms as predictors of real world social functioning in schizophrenia

Deficits in real world social functioning are common in people with schizophrenia and the treatment of social skills deficits has been a long-time treatment strategy. However, negative (i.e., deficit) symptoms also appear to contribute to real-world social dysfunction. In this study, we combined data from three separate studies of people with schizophrenia (total n=561) who were assessed with identical methods. We examined the prediction of real-world social functioning, rated by high contact clinicians, and compared the influence of negative symptoms and social skills measured with performance-based methods on these outcomes. Negative symptom severity accounted for 20% of the variance in real-world social functioning, with social skills adding an incremental 2%. This 2% variance contribution was the same when social skills were forced into a regression model prior to negative symptom severity. When we examined individual negative symptoms, prediction of real-world social functioning increased to 28%, with active and passive social avoidance entering the equation. Adding depression into the predictor model improved the prediction of real-world social functioning significantly, but minimally (4% variance). Social skills contribute to real-world social outcomes, but treating negative symptoms appears to be a possible path for improving real-world social functioning in this population.

Cognitive empathy contributes to poor social functioning in schizophrenia: Evidence from a new self-report measure of cognitive and affective empathy

Cognitive empathy impairments have been linked to poor social functioning in schizophrenia. However, prior studies primarily used self-reported empathy measures developed decades ago that are not well-aligned with contemporary models of empathy. We evaluated empathy and its relationship to social functioning in schizophrenia using the recently developed Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE). Schizophrenia (n=52) and healthy comparison (n=37) subjects completed the QCAE, Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and measures of neurocognition, symptoms, and social functioning. Between-group differences on the QCAE, and relationships between QCAE and IRI subscales, neurocognition, symptoms, and social functioning were examined. The schizophrenia group reported significantly lower cognitive empathy than comparison subjects, which was driven by low online simulation scores. Cognitive empathy explained significant variance in social functioning after accounting for neurocognition and symptoms. Group differences for affective empathy were variable; the schizophrenia group reported similar proximal responsivity, but elevated emotion contagion relative to comparison subjects. These findings bolster support for the presence and functional significance of impaired cognitive empathy in schizophrenia using a contemporary measure of empathy. Emerging evidence that some aspects of affective empathy may be unimpaired or hyper-responsive in schizophrenia and implications for the assessment and treatment of empathy in schizophrenia are discussed.

The impact of insight on social functioning in patients with schizophrenia.

It is still unclear whether insight has a direct association with social functioning in schizophrenia, independent of its association with symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of insight and its dimensions with social functioning in schizophrenia. A total of 170 outpatients with schizophrenia were included in this study. All patients were evaluated with the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP). Patients with impaired insight and patients with unimpaired insight were compared for PSP score through independent samples t test. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to determine the correlations between study variables. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis was used in order to determine the variables that predict social performance. The PSP score of patients with impaired insight was significantly lower than that of patients with unimpaired insight. There were significant correlations between insight dimensions and PSP score. PANSS negative scale score, awareness of achieved effects of medication and awareness of anhedonia/asociality were significant predictors of social performance. Insight has a significant impact on social functioning in schizophrenia, and some, but not all, insight dimensions have direct impact on social performance, independent of their association with symptoms.

Five-Year Follow-Up of Supportive Psychodynamic Psychotherapy in First-Episode Psychosis: Long-Term Outcome in Social Functioning

Objectives: The long-term outcomes of several approaches to intervention targeting social functioning in schizophrenia are not well documented. Contemporary supportive psychodynamic psychotherapy (SPP) aims to improve social functioning. The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term outcome of SPP in a prospective, longitudinal, comparative, multicenter investigation of successively referred patients diagnosed with first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder.Method: Manualized SPP for up to 3 years as a supplement to standard treatment (ST) were compared to ST alone and followed up for 5 years (N = 269). The SPP targeted interpersonal relationships, emotion regulation, social cognition, and self-coherence.Results: Significant between-group effects in favor of SPP+ST on social functioning, overall symptoms, and positive psychotic symptoms were found during the period of active SPP intervention. These differential effects, however, were not sustained after end of additional SPP at 5-year follow-up.Conclusion: The findings are in line with results from other approaches targeting social functioning in schizophrenia and support SPP as a valuable treatment. Further research into the curative elements of SPP is needed.