Symptoms, functioning and coping strategies in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who do not take antipsychotic medication: a comparative interview study

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 2179-2188 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Jung ◽  
M. Wiesjahn ◽  
H. Wendt ◽  
T. Bock ◽  
W. Rief ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Antipsychotic Medication ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
General Functioning ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
And Coping

BackgroundA considerable proportion of people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders do not take antipsychotic medication but seem to be functioning well. However, little is known about this group. To test the assumption that absence of medication is compensated for by more effective coping and increased social support, this study compared symptoms, functioning, coping strategies and social support in non-medicated and medicated individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.MethodIn all, 48 participants with a DSM-IV schizophrenia spectrum disorder who were taking (n= 25) or not taking antipsychotic medication (n= 23) were included. Assessment consisted of self-ratings of symptoms, symptom-related distress and social support combined with a semi-structured interview that assessed general and social functioning, subjective evaluation of symptoms and coping strategies.ResultsSymptom severity and distress did not differ between the groups. However, the non-medicated participants had significantly higher levels of general functioning than medicated participants and a longer duration of being non-medicated was significantly associated with a higher level of general functioning. In contrast to the hypotheses, not taking medication was not associated with more effective coping strategies or with higher levels of social support. Medicated participants more frequently reported the use of professional help as a coping strategy.ConclusionsOur results corroborate previous studies finding improved functioning in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who do not take medication compared with those who take medication, but do not support the notion that this difference is explicable by better coping or higher levels of social support. Alternative explanations and avenues for research are discussed.

Are self-stigma and coping strategies interrelated in outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders using the psychiatric medication? Cross-sectional study

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S99-S100
Author(s):  
M. Holubova ◽  
J. Prasko ◽  
R. Hruby ◽  
K. Latalova ◽  
M. Slepecky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Psychiatric Medication ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
High Positive Correlation ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Negative Coping ◽  
Self Instruction ◽  
And Coping

IntroductionSelf-stigma is the maladaptive psychosocial phenomenon that can affect the patient's self-image, may lead to dysphoria, social isolation, reduced adherence and quality of life. Maladaptive coping strategies may adversely disturb the overall functioning of psychiatric patients.ObjectivesThinking about coping strategies and self-stigma in practice may play a significant role in understanding patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, especially for mental health professionals. Focus on coping strategies could be a useful concept in supportive and educational therapy to help patients in using more adaptive coping strategies and decrease their self-stigma.AimsThe aim of this study was to determine the relation between coping strategies and the self-stigma among outpatients with schizophrenia and related disorders.MethodsStress Coping Style Questionnaire (SVF-78), Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) and severity of the disorder (measured by Clinical Global Impression objective and subjective form) were assessed.ResultsOne hundred and four patients suffering from schizophrenia (n = 67), schizoaffective disorder (n = 30), polymorphic psychotic disorder (n = 3), schizotypal disorder (n = 2) and delusional disorder (n = 2) were included in the study. The results showed that there was a high positive correlation between negative coping and self-stigma, and the negative correlation between positive strategies and the overall score of self-stigma. Stepwise regression analysis showed that negative coping (especially resignation), subjective severity SubjCGI and positive coping strategies (especially positive self-instruction) explains 52.8% of the overall score variance of self-stigma (Tables 1–3).ConclusionsThis study revealed that there is a connection between self-stigma and coping strategies in patients suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Acoustic speech markers for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: a diagnostic and symptom-recognition tool

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
J. N. de Boer ◽  
A. E. Voppel ◽  
S. G. Brederoo ◽  
H. G. Schnack ◽  
K. P. Truong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Diagnostic Value ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Speech Technology ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Abstract Background Clinicians routinely use impressions of speech as an element of mental status examination. In schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, descriptions of speech are used to assess the severity of psychotic symptoms. In the current study, we assessed the diagnostic value of acoustic speech parameters in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, as well as its value in recognizing positive and negative symptoms. Methods Speech was obtained from 142 patients with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder and 142 matched controls during a semi-structured interview on neutral topics. Patients were categorized as having predominantly positive or negative symptoms using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Acoustic parameters were extracted with OpenSMILE, employing the extended Geneva Acoustic Minimalistic Parameter Set, which includes standardized analyses of pitch (F0), speech quality and pauses. Speech parameters were fed into a random forest algorithm with leave-ten-out cross-validation to assess their value for a schizophrenia-spectrum diagnosis, and PANSS subtype recognition. Results The machine-learning speech classifier attained an accuracy of 86.2% in classifying patients with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder and controls on speech parameters alone. Patients with predominantly positive v. negative symptoms could be classified with an accuracy of 74.2%. Conclusions Our results show that automatically extracted speech parameters can be used to accurately classify patients with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder and healthy controls, as well as differentiate between patients with predominantly positive v. negatives symptoms. Thus, the field of speech technology has provided a standardized, powerful tool that has high potential for clinical applications in diagnosis and differentiation, given its ease of comparison and replication across samples.

scholarly journals Coping strategies and self-stigma in patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders

2016 ◽  
Vol Volume 10 ◽  
pp. 1151-1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Prasko ◽  
Michaela Holubova ◽  
Radovan Hruby ◽  
Klara Latalova ◽  
Dana Kamaradova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

scholarly journals Clinical correlates of the NR3C1 gene methylation at various stages of psychosis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Błażej Misiak ◽  
Jerzy Samochowiec ◽  
Anna Konopka ◽  
Bożena Gawrońska-Szklarz ◽  
Jan Aleksander Beszłej ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Population ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Immediate Memory ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
General Functioning ◽  
History Of ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Abstract Background Dysregulation of epigenetic processes might account for alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis observed in patients with schizophrenia. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) gene in patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, individuals at familial high risk of schizophrenia (FHR-P) and healthy controls (HCs) with respect to clinical manifestation and a history of psychosocial stressors. Methods We recruited 40 first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients, 45 acutely relapsed schizophrenia (SCZ-AR) patients, 39 FHR-P individuals and 56 HCs. The level of methylation at nine CpG sites of the NR3C1 gene was determined using pyrosequencing. Results The level of NR3C1 methylation was significantly lower in FEP patients and significantly higher in SCZ-AR patients compared to other subgroups of participants. Individuals with FHR-P and HCs had similar levels of NR3C1 methylation. A history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) was associated with significantly lower NR3C1 methylation in all subgroups of participants. Higher methylation of the NR3C1 gene was related to worse performance of attention and immediate memory as well as lower level of general functioning in patients with psychosis. Conclusions Patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders show altered levels of NR3C1 methylation that is significantly lower in FEP patients and significantly higher in SCZ-AR patients. Higher methylation of the NR3C1 gene might be related to cognitive impairment observed in this clinical population. The association between a history of ACEs and lower NR3C1 methylation is not specific to patients with psychosis. Longitudinal studies are needed to establish causal mechanisms underlying these observations.

scholarly journals Informed consent to research in persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lora Humphrey Beebe ◽  
Kathlene Smith
Keyword(s):  
Informed Consent ◽  
Antipsychotic Medication ◽  
Exercise Intervention ◽  
Research Participation ◽  
Consent Form ◽  
Ongoing Study ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Persons With Schizophrenia

This manuscript describes the responses and correlates of outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders to a tool designed to measure comprehension before obtaining informed consent for research participation. We used the Evaluation to Sign Consent form to document comprehension in 100 outpatients as part of their consent to participate in an ongoing study of an exercise intervention. The findings suggest that using this form is a feasible and acceptable approach to documenting comprehension of research procedures prior to obtaining informed consent. Age 49 years and older and the receipt of intramuscular antipsychotic medication predicted the need for additional assistance to complete the Evaluation to Sign Consent form successfully (χ2 = 8.29, P = 0.016). Nurse researchers should consider documenting comprehension with this tool owing to its availability, time efficiency and utility.

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