Objectives: Schizophrenia is one of the conditions that affect social cognition and social functioning. These aspects are particularly important when assessing the prognosis and evolution of the disease. The main objective of the present study was to examine the role of social cognition for social functioning. We hypothesized that social cognition influences directly social functioning in schizophrenia.
Material and method: We assessed 31 subjects who have been admitted for the first time to the Timișoara Psychiatric Clinic between 1998 and 2007 and who have had within the last five years a stable diagnosis of schizophrenia according to ICD-10. The following parameters were analyzed: socio-demographic (gender, age of onset, level of schooling, marital and professional status), clinical symptoms (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale), social cognition (Social Cognition Rating Scale for Psychosis) and social functioning (Social Functioning Scale).
Results: The analysis of socio-demographic features show values similar to those cited in the international literature (gender distribution approximately equal, mean age of onset of 26.2 years, mean level of schooling of 11.77; 22.6% were married and all of the subjects were retired). BPRS scores indicated average values. Most of the subjects also had a social cognition and social functioning deficit. There is a direct correlation between social cognition and social functioning (r=0.46).
Conclusions: The deficit of social cognition in schizophrenia generates a decrease of social functioning.
Schizophrenia: Social Cognition as a Predictive Factor of Social Performance?
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