[Prognostic and therapeutic relevance of cognitive characteristics for the long-term course of schizophrenic illness following psychoeducational psychotherapeutic treatment]

Abstract

In a prospective, randomized clinical trial cognitive characteristics of schizophrenic patients were examined as predictors of the efficacy of a psychoeducational psychotherapeutic intervention. The aim of this study was to select adequate cognitive predictors. The reduction of the selected cognitive deficits by means of a psychoeducational psychotherapy was measured. Additionally, the prophylactic effects of the improvement of cognitive deficits were examined. Predictors of the course of illness were basic cognitive deficits and metacognitive constructs of 106 schizophrenic outpatients. Additionally, the modification of the cognitive skills of these patients was taken into account. Relevant factors of the course of illness representing the therapeutic effect of the intervention were investigated within a five-year follow-up. By means of logistic regression analyses thought disorders (AMDP system) and idiosyncratic and fatalistic assumptions (KK-scale) were obtained as appropriate cognitive predictors of the long-term course of illness. Thought disorders and attentional deficits could not be improved significantly. Though, there was a correlation between the therapeutic improvement of idiosyncratic and fatalistic assumptions and the rehospitalization rate within the follow-up.