Introduction: The main objective of this study was to compare clinical and functional outcomes of patients with schizophrenia in Italy and Sweden with a special focus on daily functioning performance and real life milestones. Also, to study if outcome is to be regarded as a consequence of premorbid function, the level of symptom control and functional capacity or if other influences, such as cultural differences, must parallel be considered.
Method: Ninety-five patients from three centres, Milan and Naples in Italy and Trollhattan in Sweden were investigated. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the UCSD Performance-Based Skills Assessment - Brief version were used together with patients' school history and their status of accommodation and occupation.
Results: Patients in Trollhattan were more likely to live independently and patients in Naples to have a work or take part in education. Differences in symptoms and the performance test were present but subtle.
Discussion: Differences in real life milestones were not explained by corresponding differences in symptoms, premorbid function or the performance-based test. It is therefore not appropriate only to present functional outcome as an expression of how successful treatment has been.
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