Regular Repeated Assessments Align Self-Reports, Case Manager Reports in Schizophrenia

Self-rated reports of schizophrenia have aligned more closely with those made by case managers after several years of repeated assessments, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association.

This follow-up study included participants from the Clinical Long-term Investigation of Psychosis in Sweden (CLIPS) who completed self-assessments both at baseline and at the 4-year mark between the years 2000 and 2013. The study researchers found that, after 4 years of regular assessments, several self-rated assessments completed by the patients showed a stronger relationship with one another than at baseline. Additionally, there was a stronger rate of agreement between patients’ self-assessments and those completed by case managers.

The CLIPS study includes between 250 and 300 patients with schizophrenia and involves recurrent yearly assessments, as well as more extensive assessments at baseline and every 4 years. These extensive assessments utilize more in-depth self-rating methods and assessment instruments, as well as interviews and evaluations by a trained case manager. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale is used, with a maximum allowable deviation of ±1 points. Descriptive statistics, regression analyses, and correlations were utilized in this study to evaluate data. 

The study researchers conclude that “through repeated assessments the patients’ ability to assess their own situation improved over time and that case managers became better at understanding their patients’ situation. This, in turn, provides a safer basis for assessments and further treatment interventions, which may lead to more patients achieving remission, which can lead to less risk for hospitalization and too early death.”

Reference

Olsson-Tall M, Hjärthag F, Marklund B, Kylén S, Carlström E, Helldin L. The impact of repeated assessments by patients and professionals: A 4-year follow-up of a population with schizophrenia [published online June 4, 2018]. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc. doi: 10.1177/1078390318777785