Schizophrenia Daily News Blog

Measurement of Insight Useful Indicator of Relapse Risk

According to an article in PsychiatryMatters.MD, researchers investigated the relationship between insight and outcome such as time to relapse and rehospitalization, and whether or not insight affects social function and symptom severity in patients with non-affective psychosis (such as schizophrenia, but not schizoaffective disorder).

They concluded that although insight did not seem to directly affect symptom severity or social function, it did highly predict risk of relapse and subsequent rehospitalization.

The researchers, reporting in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, used a 0-16 insight measurement scale called the Birchwood Insight Scale (BIS). The researchers recommend that measurement of insight at first hospitalization for schizophrenia be added to the list of variables predicting outcome.

They note that poor recognition of symptoms was the aspect of initial insight most related to outcome and expressed the idea that special therapeutic intervention might be warranted:

"The details of the beliefs and assumptions determining outcome remain unclear, but intervening to alter them appears to be justified."

Read the full article: Poor insight increases schizophrenia relapse and readmission
Original Source: Insight as a Predictor of the Outcome of First-Episode Nonaffective Psychosis in a Prospective Cohort Study in England (J Clin Psychiatry 2007; 68: 81-86)

Thanks to Dan for pointing out this article.

Additional Information:
Strategies for Addressing Denial and Lack of Insight in Mental Illness - Dr. Xavier Amador Video
Accepting the Reality of Unreality (Lack of Insight in Schizophrenia)
Panel Calls for New Paradigm in the Treatment of Schizophrenia