BACKGROUND: Assessing illness perceptions has been useful in a range of medical disorders. This study of people with a recent relapse of their psychosis examines the relationship between illness perception, their emotional responses and their attitudes to medication. METHOD:One hundred patients diagnosed with a non-affective psychotic disorder were assessed within 3 months of relapse. Measures included insight, self-reported illness perceptions, medication adherence, depression, self-esteem and anxiety. RESULTS: Illness perceptions about psychosis explained 46, 36 and 34% of the variance in depression, anxiety and self-esteem respectively. However, self-reported medication adherence was more strongly associated with a measure of insight. CONCLUSIONS: Negative illness perceptions in psychosis are clearly related to depression, anxiety and self-esteem. These in turn have been linked to symptom maintenance and recurrence. Clinical interventions that foster appraisals of recovery rather than of chronicity and severity may therefore improve emotional well-being in people with psychosis. It might be better to address adherence to medication through direct attempts at helping them understand their need for treatment.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Assessing illness perceptions has been useful in a range of medical disorders. This study of people with a recent relapse of their psychosis examines the relationship between illness perception, their emotional responses and their attitudes to medication. METHOD: One hundred patients diagnosed with a non-affective psychotic disorder were assessed within 3 months of relapse. Measures included insight, self-reported illness perceptions, medication adherence, depression, self-esteem and anxiety. RESULTS: Illness perceptions about psychosis explained 46, 36 and 34% of the variance in depression, anxiety and self-esteem respectively. However, self-reported medication adherence was more strongly associated with a measure of insight. CONCLUSIONS: Negative illness perceptions in psychosis are clearly related to depression, anxiety and self-esteem. These in turn have been linked to symptom maintenance and recurrence. Clinical interventions that foster appraisals of recovery rather than of chronicity and severity may therefore improve emotional well-being in people with psychosis. It might be better to address adherence to medication through direct attempts at helping them understand their need for treatment.
Authors: Elizabeth Kuipers; Philippa Garety; David Fowler; Daniel Freeman; Graham Dunn; Paul Bebbington Journal: Schizophr Bull Date: 2006-08-02 Impact factor: 9.306
Authors: Ashley S Roseman; John Kasckow; Ian Fellows; Katerine Osatuke; Thomas L Patterson; Somaia Mohamed; Sidney Zisook Journal: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry Date: 2008-07 Impact factor: 3.485
Authors: Michael Cooke; Emmanuelle Peters; Dominic Fannon; Anantha P P Anilkumar; Ingrid Aasen; Elizabeth Kuipers; Veena Kumari Journal: Schizophr Res Date: 2007-06-11 Impact factor: 4.939