FROM SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH: COGNITION
Schizophrenia patients with more satisfying employment status have better subjective quality of life and functional capacity, according to Haruo Fujino and associates.
For the study, 93 schizophrenia patients received an extensive battery of cognitive tests. The results were evaluated using a model predicting employment status, with negative symptoms and poor functional capacity predicting poor employment status. Positive symptoms did not influence employment status, reported Mr. Fujino of Osaka (Japan) University.
A second model that incorporated quality of life (QOL) assessments found similar results to the first model, where poorer subjective QOL was related to negative emotions and worse employment status. Both models satisfied good fit criteria.
“The role of functional capacity may be important for the employment/occupation domain of social functioning in patients with schizophrenia, as poor cognitive abilities may underlie the deficit patients present in their ability to perform daily activities, which leads to inefficiency in work life. These findings suggest an important role of functional capacity as a link between cognitive improvement and employment outcomes,” the investigators wrote.
Find the full study in Schizophrenia Research: Cognition (doi: 10.1016/j.scog.2015.10.005).
