10 Influencers in Schizophrenia Recovery

Is there anything you can do to increase the chance that you’ll recover from schizophrenia and go on to live a better life? A UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute research study that tracked 23 schizophrenia patients detailed 10 factors that influenced recovery.  Here’s a breakdown of their findings:

70 percent of the study participants reported good or very good family relationships.  A powerful predictor of relapse is family stress.  The rate of relapse is reduced with family education and emotional support.

Three-quarters of the study participants reported substance abuse prior to treatment and just 17.4 percent reported abuse after the onset of schizophrenia.  National Institute of Mental Health research estimates the prevalence of lifetime substance abuse among schizophrenia patients at 47 percent. 

Only 13 percent of study participants reported a delay in treatment of more than a year after the onset of symptoms.  Longer duration of symptoms prior to treatment correlates directly with greater time to remission and a lesser degree of remission. 

87 percent of study participants reported effective control of symptoms with their first antipsychotic medication.  The improvement of symptoms within days of receiving an antipsychotic drug significantly predicts long-term treatment results.

All study participants adhered to their treatment and medication taking. Failure to take medication as prescribed interferes with both short-term and long-term recovery. 

91 percent of the study participants reported ongoing psychotherapy contributed to their recovery.  Positive relationships with treatment team members like psychiatrists and therapists are imperative to improvement. 

All study participants showed normal or near normal functioning on problem solving verbal working memory and perceptual skills tests.  Working memory, sustained attention and efficient visual perception are strong predictors of recovery.

No study participants had more than very mild negative symptoms.  Higher expressed negative symptoms correlate with the degree of schizophrenia disability. 

70 percent of study participants graduated from college before becoming ill.  Good pre-morbid functioning in the following areas help a person recover: education and IQ, age of onset, rapidity of onset, work history and social skills.

91 percent of study participants reported getting antipsychotic medication and psychotherapy.  Continuous, comprehensive peer-oriented and coordinated treatment is critical to recovery.