Disability among patients with schizophrenia: A hospital-based study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Clinical Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Schizophrenia is a highly disabling mental disorder impacting self-care, occupation, and social relationships.
• Previous research on disability in schizophrenia has limitations, including lack of prevalence data and focus on specific domains.
• Existing disability assessment tools may have significant weaknesses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence, severity, affected domains, and correlates of disability in Nigerian outpatients with schizophrenia.
• To address limitations in previous studies by providing comprehensive disability data.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 300 adult outpatients with schizophrenia.
• Utilized sociodemographic questionnaire, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0).
• Data collected through interviews at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Main Results:

• A high prevalence of disability was found in 78% of outpatients.
• The majority experienced mild to moderate disability (77%), with only 1% severe.
• Highest disability rates were in 'participation in society' and 'getting along' domains; lowest in 'activities' and 'self-care'. PANSS scores correlated significantly with disability.

Conclusions:

• Disability is very common among schizophrenia patients, consistent with existing literature.
• Disability is associated with higher schizophrenia illness severity.
• Early and comprehensive treatment is crucial for clinicians to mitigate disability.