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A comparative study of insight scales and their relationship to psychopathological and clinical variables
M Sanz1, G Constable, I Lopez-Ibor
1Departmento de Psiquiatria, Hospital G. Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
Background:
Research on the subject of insight has been hampered by difficulties in definition and reliable measurement.
Methods:
We compared several rating scales to measure insight on a group of 33 psychotic patients as well as assessing patients' psychopathology, clinical characteristics and cognitive functioning.
Results:
Most currently used scales showed a high degree of inter-correlation. Measures of insight related strongly to the presence of delusions; grandiosity (inversely), and depression (positively). Higher insight scores correlated with indices of treatment compliance and inversely with substance abuse. Measures of pre-morbid IQ and impaired executive functioning, including the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were not associated with poor insight.
Conclusions:
The study highlights aspects of psychopathology and clinical variables particularly related to insight and supports the continued use of standardized scales in further research in this area.