Impact of interpersonal factors on insight in schizophrenia

Abstract

Whereas clinical insight in schizophrenia has been consistently associated with personal factors (i.e. sociodemographic characteristics, symptoms or cognition), little is known about its relationships with interpersonal factors (i.e. close environment and personal characteristics involved in social interactions). Most of the few studies available have focused on one particular interpersonal factor, such as social cognition, contact frequencies or therapeutic alliance. To date, no study has explored the specificity of associations between clinical insight and different levels of interpersonal factors, neither if these associations are independent of personal factors. Associations between insight and interpersonal factors were explored through multiple regression in a sample of 80 outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Lower insight was associated with lower interpersonal functioning, independently from personal factors such as age, gender, age at first hospitalization, executive functioning and symptoms. Our findings replicate previous studies with regard to the associations between clinician-rated insight and social cognition or social contact frequencies. They also provide new information about specific associations between clinician-rated insight and perceived social support as well as between patient-rated insight and therapeutic alliance. Finally, models of insight based on personal factors were significantly improved by the inclusion of interpersonal factors. These results strongly support the crucial role of interpersonal factors in insight, both from the clinician's and the patient's point of view. These exploratory data require further replication.

Keywords: Insight; Interpersonal factors; Schizophrenia; Social cognition; Social support; Therapeutic alliance.