Electrodermal activity and social network as predictors of outcome of episodes in schizophrenia

The predictive value of electrodermal activity and social network was examined among 48 consecutively admitted schizophrenic patients. The patients were followed from an initial admission, through hospital stay, discharge, follow-up (M = 31 months), and possible relapse. Outcome variables were the length of stay in the hospital at the key episode and time to relapse, defined as a marked exacerbation or return of schizophrenic symptoms requiring inpatient or expansion of outpatient treatment. Multivariate analyses showed that a psychosocial variable, the availability of attachment, was the only independent predictor of length of stay in the hospital. Age at admission was a strong predictor of time to relapse. Age interacted with both outcome and electrodermal activity, and young electrodermal nonresponders were found to have the shortest time to relapse. At the 1-year follow-up, a main relapse effect was found for patients with a low skin conductance level.