ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Symptomatic remission have substantial effects in long-term schizophrenia outcome, but exact determinants of the employment. In this study, the relationship between employment and symptomatic remission in chronic schizophrenia patients and other factors related to employment were investigated. METHODS: 100 patients interviewed were evaluated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Functional Recovery Scale in Schizophrenia (FROGS), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Quality of Life Scale (QoL) and Subjective Recovery Assessment Scale (SubRAS). Sociodemographic variables, clinical features, antipsychotic dose and past working history obtained from patient interviews were investigated. RESULTS: The patients of 40% who participate in the study were symptomatic remission, but only 53.5% of these patients weren't employed. Young age, especially, -regardless of the onset of illness- working a job in the past, low and moderate use CPED (equivalent doses according to chlorpromazine), shorter disease duration, symptomatic remission was found to be closely related to employment. While QoL, FROGS, GAF, and SubRAS total scores of employment group were higher than the unemployment group, PANSS total scores in the unemployment group were higher than that of the employment group. There was a high correlation between the scales and employment status. CONCLUSION: Employment status was closely related with the remission status. This study supports that symptomatic remission alone is not decisive for employment. It was found that younger age, past working history (before or after the disease), low and intermediate CPED antipsychotic use and shorter duration of disease were closely related to employment with symptomatic remission.
ABSTRACT
The major goal of this study is to assess the frequency of psychiatric disorders in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, who were on hemodialysis (HD) treatment in Turkey. Additionally, it aims to determine whether depression, anxiety, and functional and occupational levels of patients who did not receive any psychiatric treatments change at the end of 6 months. We conducted Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV, Clinical Version on 50 HD patients, and 16 (32%) fulfilled the criteria for a psychiatric disorder. Depressive disorder, not otherwise specified, was observed in 12 (24%) patients. Adjustment disorder with depressed mood and dysthymic disorder were observed in 8% of our population. Fourteen patients were followed up for 6 months. All patients were assessed with Hamilton Depression (HDRS), Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) at baseline and at 6 months. The comparisons of baseline and 6 months HDRS, HARS, and GAF scale scores did not reveal any statistically significant differences in 14 depressed patients. The level of depression, anxiety, and functional and occupational impairment did not remit spontaneously in our untreated depressed HD patients. We believe that further studies regarding categorization, prognosis, and treatment of these patients are needed to better understand what to do when we encounter depressive ESRD patients.
