From Perception to Functional Outcome in Schizophrenia

Abstract

Schizophrenia treatment research has moved well past management of psychotic symptoms to the more ambitious, and to the patient more personally meaningful, goal of ‘‘recovery.” In general, recovery refers to achievement of independent living, vocational or educational activities, and satisfying interpersonal relationships.^1,2 To achieve recovery, it is first necessary to identify the key determinants of poor functioning that interfere with successful adaptation. Functional outcome generally refers to the degree of success that a person has with social connections, vocational pursuits, and degree of independent living. Several determinants have been identified, with considerable focus on neurocognition and negative symptoms.^3-6 However, other factors, including perception, social cognition, functional capacity, and defeatist beliefs, also influence functional success achieved by people with schizophrenia.^7-10 The goal of the current study was to evaluate how well data from a large sample of patients fit a single-pathway model that runs from visual perception through intervening variables to functional outcome.