Functionality During the First Five Years After the Diagnosis of Schizophrenia. A Cohort Study in a Colombian Population

Juan F Cano; Julián Ortegón-Valencia; Carlos Pedraza-Perez; Rodrigo Córdoba-Rojas; Ana Olarte-Armenta; Alexie Vallejo-Silva; Jairo González-Díaz

doi:10.1016/j.rcp.2020.11.005

Functionality During the First Five Years After the Diagnosis of Schizophrenia. A Cohort Study in a Colombian Population

Rev Colomb Psiquiatr (Engl Ed). 2021 Jan 4:S0034-7450(20)30117-7. doi: 10.1016/j.rcp.2020.11.005. Online ahead of print.

[Article in English, Spanish]

Authors

Juan F Cano¹, Julián Ortegón-Valencia², Carlos Pedraza-Perez², Rodrigo Córdoba-Rojas³, Ana Olarte-Armenta², Alexie Vallejo-Silva⁴, Jairo González-Díaz⁴

Affiliations

¹ UR Center for Mental Health (CeRSaMe), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia; Centro de Investigaciones del Sistema Nervioso (CISNE), Bogotá, Colombia. Electronic address: juanf.cano@urosario.edu.co.
² Centro de Investigaciones del Sistema Nervioso (CISNE), Bogotá, Colombia.
³ UR Center for Mental Health (CeRSaMe), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia; Centro de Investigaciones del Sistema Nervioso (CISNE), Bogotá, Colombia.
⁴ UR Center for Mental Health (CeRSaMe), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia; Clínica Nuestra Señora de la Paz, Bogotá, Colombia.

PMID: 33735038
DOI: 10.1016/j.rcp.2020.11.005

Abstract

Objective: There is a lack of studies on the natural history of the initial stages of schizophrenia in Colombia. This study aims to assess functionality in the first five years after the diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Methods: Naturalistic longitudinal study of 50 patients with early schizophrenia evaluated between 2011 and 2014. Data about demographic background, symptoms, introspection, treatment and adverse reactions were collected in all patients every 3 months for at least 3-5 years. Functionality was measured with the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scales.

Results: Patients were followed up for a mean of 174±62.5 weeks and showed moderate difficulties in overall functioning. This functioning was modified by polypharmacy, degree of introspection, changes in antipsychotic regimens, and the number of episodes, relapses and hospitalisations.

Conclusions: The results suggest that functional outcomes seem to be related to the use of polypharmacy, degree of insight, changes in antipsychotic regimens, and number of episodes, relapses and hospitalisations during the first years of schizophrenia.

Keywords: Antipsicóticos; Antipsychotics; Colombia; Esquizofrenia; Funcionalidad; Functioning; Introspección; Introspection; Recurrence; Recurrencia; Schizophrenia.