Factors associated with overall functioning in patients with schizophrenia in a general hospital in Peru

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the influence of the factors associated with overall functioning in patients with schizophrenia who attended the outpatient clinic of the Hospital Nacional de la Policía [National Police Hospital] “Luis Nicasio Saenz” in 2018-2019. Methodology: Non-experimental quantitative study of a descriptive cross-sectional correlational type. Convenience sampling was carried out, and consisted of 53 patients with schizophrenia. Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST) was used to assess overall functioning, the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP) for cognitive functioning, and a data collection sheet with sociodemographic data and a history of the disease. Results: It was found that 34 (62.2%) patients were male; 52 (98.1%), single; 39, (73.6%) without a current job. We found worse overall functioning in patients with a lower educational level (p = 0.005) and without a current job (p = 0.004). The total FAST was correlated with the time of the disease (ρ = 0.334, p < 0.05), the number of previous psychotic episodes (ρ = 0.354, p < 0.01), the total SCIP score (ρ = 0.542, p < 0.01) and their working memory dimension (VMT) (ρ = -0.523, p < 0.05). In the multiple linear regression model, it was found that the variables that most influenced the FAST were the total SCIP score (Beta = -0.528) and the number of previous psychotic episodes (Beta = 0.278). Conclusion: The associated factors that most influence overall functioning in this sample of Peruvian patients with schizophrenia are cognitive functioning and the number of previous psychotic episodes.