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Decisional capacity for informed consent in schizophrenia research
W T Carpenter1, J M Gold, A C Lahti
1Maryland Psychiatric Research Center and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, Baltimore 21228, USA. wcarpent@mprc.umaryland.edu
Archives of General Psychiatry
|June 6, 2000
Summary
Informed consent capacity in schizophrenia is often impaired by cognitive deficits but can be improved. An educational intervention significantly enhanced decisional capacity for research participation in individuals with schizophrenia.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Informed consent is crucial for ethical research.
- Schizophrenia can impair decisional capacity, raising concerns about research participation.
- Understanding these impairments is vital for protecting vulnerable populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess decisional capacity for informed consent in schizophrenia research subjects.
- To explore the relationship between impaired capacity and psychopathological features.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention in remediating reduced capacity.
Main Methods:
- Assessed decisional capacity in 30 schizophrenia patients and 24 healthy controls.
- Measured psychopathological features and cognitive function in schizophrenia subjects.
- Administered an educational intervention to subjects with poor initial capacity and retested.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia patients initially showed lower decisional capacity than controls.
- Impaired capacity correlated with symptom severity and cognitive impairments.
- Post-intervention, schizophrenia subjects' capacity matched that of the control group.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive demands of informed consent pose challenges for many with schizophrenia.
- Intensive educational interventions can effectively compensate for reduced decisional capacity.
- Enhanced informed consent processes are vital for ethical schizophrenia research.