Factors associated with recovery during schizophrenia and related disorders: A review of meta-analysis

The spectrum of schizophrenia disorders (SSD) is a severe mental disorder. It is one of the main medical causes of disability that generates high health and social costs.

To analyze the factors associated with clinical recovery (CR) (symptomatic remission-SR and functional recovery-FR) and personal recovery (PR) in people diagnosed with SSD.

14 meta-analyses focused on recovery were reviewed following the PRISMA model statements. 95 % of CI was established.

Shorter Duration of Untreated Psychosis (Zr = 0.24, [0.17, 0.30]) and total Duration of Untreated Illness (Zr = 0.34, [0.20, 0.48]) were related to greater SR and general functioning, respectively. Resilience was the variable with the greatest effect on FR (Zr = 0.67, [0.63, 0.71]). Premorbid adjustment (Zr = 0.34, [0.18, 0.49]) and physical intervention (Zr = 0.71, [0.55, 0.86]) had the greatest effect on occupational and social functioning, respectively. Less severe affective symptoms were related to greater PR (Zr = 0.46, [0.42, 0.50]). There are differences between affective SR and the other types of SR (Zr_{(SR-A - SR-)} = 0.13, Qb = 6.51, p = 0.011), (Zr_{(SR-A - SR+)} = 0.20, Qb = 8.52, p = 0.004), (Zr_{(SR-A - SR)} = 0.18, Qb = 19.29, p = 0.0001). In all, resilience was associated with greater recovery (Zr = 0.67, [0.53, 0.80]), with the global effect being greater on PR than on CR (Zr_(PR-CR) = 0.07, Qb = 3.45, p = 0.05).

Resilience was the variable most strongly associated with recovery. Symptomatic or functional improvement obtained less statistical weight.