Measuring cognitive insight in middle-aged and older patients with psychotic disorders

Having any mental health condition before the COVID-19 pandemic as a risk factor of COVID-19 contagion during the first year of pandemic: A Spanish adult cohort

Numerous studies suggest that subjects suffering from a mental health condition before the COVID-19 pandemic were at higher risk of contagion, but mostly are cross-sectional or retrospective. The BIOVAL-D-COVID-19 is a longitudinal cohort study design with 922 subjects who full filled two evaluations from an online survey of Spanish residents before and during the pandemic. Mental health conditions assessed were: Major Depressive Episode (MDE), Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours (STB) and subthreshold of panic and bipolar disorder (BD). Mental health screening instruments used were: the Spanish version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) version 3.0 for the evaluation of MDE, the GAD-7 scale to evaluate GAD; STB was evaluated with four items from the CIDI questionnaire. Panic Disorder and BD were screened from a modified and self-reported version of the CIDI. A bivariate plus five logistic regression models were developed for each mental health condition adjusted by socio-demographic variables; employment status; general and physical health; comorbidity; and including all previous variables and the other mental health conditions. We found in bivariate model that MDE; GAD and STB were statistically significant risk factors of contagion of COVID-19. The logistic regression models developed reveal that having a previous GAD (aOR 3.30 1.31-8.31) or STB (aOR 2.16 CI 95% 1.01-4.62) was statistically significant associated with COVID-19 contagion, independently of all variables included. MDE was not a risk factor of contagion when it was adjusted by comorbidity (aOR 0.99 CI 95% 0.47-2.09). It is recommended to detect those subjects with previous GAD or STB as vulnerable groups of infection to reduce contagion rates.

The Italian Validation of the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale: Underlying Factor Structure in Psychotic Patients and the General Population

Cognitive insight refers to the ability to question one's judgments and cognitive biases and is underpinned by specific metacognitive processes. The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale was developed to assess cognitive insight and includes two subscales, Self-Reflectiveness and Self-Certainty (SC). The present study aimed to investigate the underlying factor structure of the Italian version of the BCIS in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and in the general population (GP) for the first time. A cross-sectional design was adopted and a GP sample of 624 subjects and an SZ sample of 130 patients were enrolled. In the SZ group, a two-factor solution was supported. The internal reliability of each factor was satisfactory. Two items were eliminated and one item moved from the SC to the SR subscale. In the GP group, a two-factor solution was highlighted. The internal reliability of each factor was satisfactory. However, four items of the SR subscale were deleted. The Italian-validated version of the BCIS shows different structures for the SZ and the GP and is characterized by different features concerning previous studies. This evidence suggests new interpretations of metacognitive processes in the two populations and implies specific therapeutic approaches.

Self-stigma and cognitive insight in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis

Background

Impaired cognitive insight and increased self-stigma have been consistently reported in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, but little is known about its presence in individuals at ultra-high risk of developing a psychosis, although self-stigma is associated with transition.to psychosis. The current study examined whether self-stigma is already present in individuals at ultra-high risk of psychosis, and whether this is associated with impaired cognitive insight.

Methods

184 participants were recruited divided over three groups, namely individuals diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD; n = 92, 34% females), individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR; n = 43, 59% females) and general population controls (GPC; n = 49, 27% females). All participants completed assessments on demographic information (gender, age, education), and cognitive insight. In addition, participants with SSD and individuals at UHR completed a questionnaire on self-stigma.

Results

The level of self-stigma did not differ between individuals at UHR and individuals diagnosed with SSD. Cognitive insight also did not differ significantly between the three groups, but the subscale self-reflection differed between the three groups [F(2,184) = 4.20, p = 0.02], with the UHR and SSD groups showing more self-reflection. Pearson's correlation analyses showed that in individuals at UHR total cognitive insight and its self-reflection subscale were significantly associated with the alienation subscale of self-stigma, and in individuals with SSD self-certainty subscale of cognitive insight was significantly associated with stereotype endorsement.

Conclusion

Findings show that self-stigma was already present in the UHR phase, to a similar degree as in individuals with a diagnosis of a SSD, and is thus not dependent of previous experience of having a label of SSD. Cognitive insight in individuals at UHR of psychosis appears to be intact, but individuals at UHR showed more self-reflectiveness, and individuals at risk with high cognitive insight also experience high levels of self-stigma. Overall findings from our study suggest that pre-emptive interventions targeting self-stigma, while considering cognitive insight, are needed early on in manifestation of psychotic illness, preferably already in the UHR phase.

Cognitive insight in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis compared to patients with first-episode psychosis and non-psychotic help-seeking youths

BACKGROUND

Defective insight is a hallmark of schizophrenia. Less is known about insight in emerging psychosis. In this study a widely used measure of cognitive insight, the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS), has been applied to a sample including patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP), at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis, and help-seeking youths without psychotic symptoms.

METHODS

The Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental State (CAARMS) interview was used to classify patients. Enrolled patients were assessed with the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), the Prodromal Questionnaire-16 (PQ-16), the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS), and the BCIS.

RESULTS

The sample included 212 participants (58%) with non-psychotic mental distress, 131 participants (36%) were UHR, and 22 (6%) were with FEP. Males and females were in equal proportion, mean age was 19.2 ± 2.6 years old (range: 15-25 years). Reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was good for clinical scales (>0.7) and acceptable (around 0.6) for the two BCIS subscales. The self-certainty subscale of the BCIS was more reproducible in factor analysis than the self-reflectiveness scale. Youths devoid of psychotic symptoms scored lower than UHR and FEP participants on the GHQ-12 and the PQ-16 and had better psychosocial functioning as measured by the SOFAS. Levels of cognitive insight did not differ between groups.

CONCLUSION

People in the early stages of psychosis may be still accessible to self-reflectiveness and more hesitant about the certainty of their beliefs than patients at more advanced stages of the illness, as those with fully displayed schizophrenia.

Comparison of three scales (BIS, SUMD and BCIS) for measuring insight dimensions and their evolution after one-year of follow-up: Findings from the FACE-SZ Cohort

The aim of our study was to compare the performance of three different instruments measuring clinical and cognitive dimensions of insight. Data on 182 outpatients with schizophrenia and one-year follow-up assessments was drawn from the FACE-SZ cohort. Awareness of clinical state (« clinical insight ») was measured using both a clinician-rated measure (the Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD)), and a self-report measure (the Birchwood Insight Scale (BIS). Cognitive insight was measured using a self-report measure (the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS)). For each scale, change in insight was examined at the follow-up. Correlations between SUMD and BIS subscales measuring same dimensions were significant. BIS-BCIS correlations were weak for all combinations except between BIS illness dimension and BCIS composite score. At the follow-up, BIS and SUMD awareness of treatment need improved whereas illness and symptom awareness increased only on the SUMD. Conversely, cognitive insight composite scores decreased. Despite relatively good overall agreement between the two clinical insight instruments, considerable variability for similar insight dimensions measured by different instruments was found. Agreement between cognitive and clinical insight is moderate. Our study strengthens the argument that insight is harder to operationalize than other symptoms and may explain why it is so seldom explicitly targeted in schizophrenia treatment.

Cognitive insight in psychotic patients institutionalized and living in the community: an examination using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale

Improving cognitive insight can reduce delusions in patients with psychotic disorders. Although institutionalized patients usually have more severe delusions than outpatients, little is known about the differences in cognitive insight between these two groups. In this study, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) for a sample of Portuguese patients with psychotic disorders and compared the cognitive insight of institutionalized patients with patients living in the community. Participants in this study were 150 patients diagnosed with psychotic disorder (78 institutionalized patients and 72 outpatients). The tested model of the BCIS was a very good fit. Our study shows that patients living in the community showed higher levels of cognitive insight (total BCIS and self-reflectiveness) than institutionalized patients. Future studies assessing cognitive insight should take into account differences between the cognitive insights of institutionalized psychotic patients and psychotic patients living in the community.

Does the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale predict change in delusional beliefs?

OBJECTIVES

The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) is composed of two subscales, self-reflectiveness and self-certainty, assessing reflectiveness and openness to feedback, and mental flexibility. Delusions have previously been associated with low cognitive insight. The aim of this study was to determine whether changes in BCIS scores predict changes in delusional beliefs.

METHODS

The study is a secondary analysis of a previously published randomized controlled trial. All participants had a psychotic disorder diagnosis and received treatment as usual, with half of them also receiving the cognitive restructuring intervention 'Michael's game'. Participants were assessed at three different times: at baseline (T1), at 3 months (T2), and at 9 months (T3). Cognitive insight was measured with the BCIS, belief flexibility with the Maudsley assessment of delusions schedule (MADS), and psychotic symptoms with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS).

RESULTS

A total of 172 participants took part in the trial. After using generalized estimating equation (GEE) modelling, we observed (1) significant main effects of BCIS self-certainty and Time and (2) significant Time × BCIS self-certainty and Time × treatment group interaction effects on belief flexibility. Improvements in self-certainty (i.e., decrease in scores) were associated with more changes in conviction over time, more accommodation, improved ability in ignoring or rejecting a hypothetical contradiction and increased use of verification of facts. Medication and BPRS total scores were controlled for in the GEE analyses at their baseline values.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall improvement in BCIS self-certainty scores over time predicted better treatment outcomes as assessed with MADS items.

PRACTITIONER POINTS

Treatments for patients with psychosis should focus on improving cognitive insight as this seems to improve overall treatment outcomes and recovery. The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale can be used to measure changes during treatment and can predict treatment outcomes.

Psychosocial factors and hospitalisations for COVID-19: Prospective cohort study based on a community sample

BACKGROUND

While certain infectious diseases have been linked to socioeconomic disadvantage, mental health problems, and lower cognitive function, relationships with COVID-19 are either uncertain or untested. Our objective was to examine the association of a range of psychosocial factors with hospitalisation for COVID-19.

METHODS

UK Biobank, a prospective cohort study, comprises around half a million people who were aged 40-69 years at study induction between 2006 and 2010 when information on psychosocial factors and covariates were captured. Hospitalisations for COVID-19 were ascertained between 16th March and 26th April 2020.

RESULTS

There were 908 hospitalisations for COVID-19 in an analytical sample of 431,051 England-based study members. In age- and sex-adjusted analyses, an elevated risk of COVID-19 was related to disadvantaged levels of education (odds ratio; 95% confidence interval: 2.05; 1.70, 2.47), income (2.00; 1.63, 2,47), area deprivation (2.20; 1.86, 2.59), occupation (1.39; 1.14, 1.69), psychological distress (1.58; 1.32, 1.89), mental health (1.50; 1.25, 1.79), neuroticism (1.19; 1.00, 1.42), and performance on two tests of cognitive function - verbal and numerical reasoning (2.66; 2.06, 3.34) and reaction speed (1.27; 1.08, 1.51). These associations were graded (p-value for trend ≤ 0.038) such that effects were apparent across the full psychosocial continua. After mutual adjustment for these characteristics plus ethnicity, comorbidity, and lifestyle factors, only the relationship between lower cognitive function as measured using the reasoning test and risk of the infection remained (1.98; 1.38, 2.85).

CONCLUSIONS

A range of psychosocial factors revealed associations with hospitalisation for COVID-19 of which the relation with cognitive function, a marker of health literacy, was most robust.

Confirmations, advances and recommendations for the daily care of schizophrenia based on the French national FACE-SZ cohort

BACKGROUND

The National FondaMental Centers of Expertise (FACE) for Schizophrenia (SZ) have been created to shorten the gap between research and clinical practice.

OBJECTIVES

To synthetize in a review the 10-year findings issued from the FACE-SZ cohort analyses.

METHODS

More than 1000 patients were evaluated in 10 expert centers since 2010 with a 2-day long comprehensive standardized battery including neuropsychological testes and physical health assessment and followed-up for 3 years.

RESULTS

1. The phase 0 cross-sectional analyses have confirmed well-known data: over-prescription of first-generation antipsychotics, antipsychotic polytherapy and long-term benzodiazepine and under-prescription of clozapine, 13% of drug-induced parkinsonism, 18% of akathisia, a mean duration of untreated psychosis of 18 months, one third of poorly-adherent patients, 24% of metabolic syndrome and 52% of current tobacco smokers with poor care for physical illnesses; a yearly mean financial cost of 15,000 euro/patient. 2. FACE-SZ also yielded additional data in insufficiently explored area: a half of major depression issues (among them one third of undiagnosed major depression and 44% of treated patients with unremitted depression), major depression having a strong impact on Quality of Life independently of negative symptoms, 22% of moderated to severe untreated physical pain. 3. FACE-SZ has explored emerging fields of research, including development of 4 stages- model of schizophrenia, chronic low-grade peripheral inflammation, latent Toxoplasma infection, hypovitaminosis D, and a model for relapse prediction at 2 years.

DISCUSSION

The associated factors and implications for public health programs were discussed. Based on the FACE-SZ findings and literature, the FACE-SZ group has yielded recommendations to improve daily care for schizophrenia and for future research.

Response and remission of subjective well-being in patients suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Background

Purpose of this study was to assess subjective well-being in schizophrenia inpatients and to find variables predictive for response and remission of subjective well-being.

Method

The subjective well-being under neuroleptic treatment scale (SWN-K) was used in 232 schizophrenia patients within a naturalistic multicenter trial. Early response was defined as a SWN-K total score improvement of 20% and by at least 10 points within the first 2 treatment weeks, response as an improvement in SWN-K total score of at least 20% and by at least 10 points from admission to discharge and remission in subjective well-being as a total score of more or equal to 80 points at discharge. Logistic regression and CART analyses were used to determine valid predictors of subjective well-being outcome.

Results

Twenty-nine percent of the patients were detected to be SWN-K early responders, 40% fulfilled criteria for response in subjective well-being and 66% fulfilled criteria for remission concerning subjective well-being. Among the investigated predictors, SWN-K early improvement and the educational status were significantly associated with SWN-K response. The SWN-K total score at baseline showed a significant negative predictive value for response. Baseline SWN-K total score, PANSS global subscore, and side effects as well as the educational status were found to be significantly predictive for remission.

Conclusions

Depressive symptoms should be radically treated and side effects closely monitored to improve the patient's subjective well-being. The important influence of subjective well-being on overall treatment outcome could be underlined.

Understanding sex differences in cognitive insight across first-and-multiple episode psychosis

OBJECTIVE

Cognitive insight represents the capacity to self-reflect and consider external feedback when re-evaluating faulty beliefs. It is associated with specific cognitive capacities such as verbal memory, of which there is substantial evidence for sex differences in psychotic disorders. Like more general cognitive capacities, cognitive insight might too be modulated by sex differences.

METHOD

One hundred and seventy-one first episode psychosis (FEP; 123 males, 48 females), and 203 multiple episode psychosis (MEP; 147 males, 56 females) participants completed the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS). A two-way MANOVA was conducted on the three BCIS measures (self-reflectiveness, self-certainty, composite index) with sex (male, female) and illness stage (FEP, MEP) as factors, followed by two-way ANOVAs and a post hoc test of simple effects.

RESULTS

The only significant interaction to emerge was between sex and illness stage in self-certainty (F(1, 373) = 5.88, p = .016). A test of simple effects revealed that self-certainty group means were significantly different for males and females in FEP, where females had lower self-certainty than males (p = .053) but not during MEP (p = .119).

CONCLUSION

Sex differences do not modulate cognitive insight in MEP, which may be attributable to females having greater positive symptom severity than males. In FEP however, results revealed that females were significantly less self-certain than males. Lower self-certainty relative to self-reflectiveness predicts treatment response in psychological interventions, and as such future FEP studies should explore sex differences in psychological interventions.

Influences on functional outcome and subjective recovery in individuals with and without First Episode Psychosis: A metacognitive model

Models of functional and subjective recovery in psychosis suggest that the path between neurocognition and functioning is mediated by cognitive processes, which may include metacognition, considered 'thinking about thinking'. Metacognition has several components: metacognitive ability, experience and efficiency, connected by metacognitive monitoring and metacognitive control processes; akin to executive control processes. This study aimed to explore whether metacognitive components are fragmented, how individuals with FEP perform on the metacognitive scores compared to healthy control participants, and whether metacognitive components are associated with functioning and, for FEP only, subjective recovery. 62 individuals with FEP and 73 matched healthy controls completed measures of metacognition, functional capacity, functional outcome, and subjective recovery; covariates: IQ and symptoms. Factor analysis, to assess loading of metacognitive items onto separate factors, demonstrated that metacognitive ability, experience, efficiency and monitoring were separate components, with limited association. Metacognitive ability and metacognitive control process were reduced in FEP sample, but metacognitive experience and monitoring process were higher in FEP. Metacognitive ability predicted functional capacity, functional outcome and subjective recovery. Metacognitive experience predicted functional capacity. This is the first study to assess key metacognitive components within a large model and consider the distinct contributions to both functional and subjective recovery.

Cognitive insight and quality of life among psychiatric outpatients

BACKGROUND

Past studies have focused primarily on clinical insight and less on cognitive insight among individuals with mental illness.

METHODS

This study examined the level of cognitive insight (CI) and its association with quality of life (QoL) among psychiatric outpatients (N = 400) in Singapore. The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) consisting of two subscales (self-reflectiveness (SR) and self-certainty (SC)) was used to measure CI while the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire was used to assess the subjective well-being of the individual.

RESULTS

Socio-demographic correlates of CI, differences in SR, SC, and CI scores across diagnostic groups, and the association between insight and QoL were examined. Significant differences across diagnostic groups were found only for SR scores. Higher SR and overall CI scores were significantly associated with higher QoL in the environmental domain whereas higher SC scores were associated with lower QoL in the social relationships domain.

CONCLUSIONS

An understanding of cognitive insight is necessary to produce a significant change in the underlying belief system of an individual. Together with clinical insight, these two forms of insight can be used to inform therapeutic approaches to increase awareness and improve the QoL of those with mental illnesses.

Higher mortality and years of potential life lost of suicide in patients with schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia could have a higher risk of mortality. We compared the risk of mortality and the years of potential life lost (YPLL) associated with various causes of death between patients with schizophrenia and the general population. A total of 4,298 patients with schizophrenia were included. The cohort was linked to the Taiwan Death Register between 1998 and 2010 using personal identification numbers, which showed 367 patients with schizophrenia had died by the end of 2010. The standard mortality ratios (SMRs) and YPLL were analyzed by age, sex and cause of death. The overall SMR was significantly higher in patients with schizophrenia. Suicide had the most significantly greater SMR, and the SMRs for physical illnesses, accidents and injuries were all significantly greater in patients with schizophrenia. Suicide had the largest YPLL/deaths among all causes of mortality in patients with schizophrenia. Suicide had the most significantly greater risk of mortality among patients with schizophrenia as compared with the general population. Patients with schizophrenia are highly vulnerable in terms of increased mortality and require special attention.

Developing a dynamic model of anomalous experiences and function in young people with or without psychosis: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Anomalous experiences are common within the general population, but the frequency and intensity is increased in young people with psychosis. Studies have demonstrated that perceptual biases towards noticing these phenomena plays a role, but the way one thinks about one's experience (metacognition) may also be relevant. While poor metacognitive function has been theoretically associated with anomalous experiences, this relationship is currently unclear. However, metacognition may work along a continuum with various metacognitive levels, many of which have been demonstrated as impaired in psychosis. These metacognitive components may interact via processes that maintain poor metacognition across levels, and that potentially impact both what people do in their everyday lives (functional outcome) and how people feel about their everyday lives (subjective recovery outcome) in young people with psychosis compared with healthy control participants.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study will investigate the association and contribution of metacognition to anomalous experiences and outcome measures cross-sectionally and longitudinally in a 36-month follow-up. First, young people with psychosis will be compared with healthy control participants on selected measures of anomalous experience, metacognition, and function, using analysis of covariance to identify group differences. Next, the relationship between metacognitive components and processes will be explored, including processes connecting the different components, using regression analyses. Finally, mediation analyses will be used to assess the predictive value of metacognitive measures on outcome measures, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally at 36 months, while controlling for symptoms and cognition.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical and Health Research Authority approval has been obtained through Camberwell St. Giles Research Ethics Committee (reference number: 17/LO/0055). This research project will be reported within a PhD thesis and submitted for journal publication. Once key predictive components of poor outcome in psychosis are identified, this study will develop a series of dynamic models to understand influences on outcome for young people with psychosis.

Dimensions of insight in schizophrenia: Exploratory factor analysis of items from multiple self- and interviewer-rated measures of insight

OBJECTIVE

Insight in schizophrenia is regarded as a multidimensional construct that comprises aspects such as awareness of the disorder and recognition of the need for treatment. The proposed number of underlying dimensions of insight is variable in the literature. In an effort to identify a range of existing dimensions of insight, we conducted a factor analysis on combined items from multiple measures of insight.

METHOD

We recruited 165 participants with enduring schizophrenia (treated for >3years). Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on itemized scores from two interviewer-rated measures of insight: the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded and the abbreviated Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder; and two self-report measures: the Birchwood Insight Scale and the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale.

RESULTS

A five-factor solution was selected as the best-fitting model, with the following dimensions of insight: 1) awareness of illness and the need for treatment; 2) awareness and attribution of symptoms and consequences; 3) self-certainty; 4) self-reflectiveness for objectivity and fallibility; and 5) self-reflectiveness for errors in reasoning and openness to feedback.

CONCLUSIONS

Insight in schizophrenia is a multidimensional construct comprised of distinct clinical and cognitive domains of awareness. Multiple measures of insight, both clinician- and self-rated, are needed to capture all of the existing dimensions of insight. Future exploration of associations between the various dimensions and their potential determinants will facilitate the development of clinically useful models of insight and effective interventions to improve outcome.

The relationship between cognitive insight and cognitive performance among individuals with at-risk mental state for developing psychosis

Impairments in cognitive insight-the capacity to appraise and modify one's own distorted beliefs-are believed to be associated with the formation of psychosis. Nevertheless, the association between cognitive insight and cognitive function among people with at-risk mental state (ARMS) for developing psychotic illness has not been made clear. In this study, we used the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) to assess cognitive insight and the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) to assess cognitive functions. Fifty subjects with ARMS and 29 healthy volunteers were recruited as participants. The scores for the two groups on the BCIS, BACS, and WCST were compared and Spearman's rank correlations between the domains of the BCIS and cognitive performance were examined in each group. No significant differences were found in BCIS scores between these groups, whereas all of the cognitive function scores were poorer in the participants with ARMS. In the ARMS group, higher self-certainty on the BCIS was significantly correlated with lower performance in the mean number of categories achieved (ρ=-0.31, P=0.03) and perseverative errors of the Nelson type (ρ=0.29, P=0.04) on the WCST. This indicates that excessively high self-certainty might be linked with weaknesses in cognitive flexibility or set-shifting ability in people with ARMS.

Cognitive insight and objective quality of life in people with schizophrenia and auditory hallucinations

Poor cognitive insight in schizophrenia has been linked to delusions, hallucinations, and negative symptoms as well as to depressive/anxiety symptoms. Its impact on quality of life has been less studied, especially in schizophrenia subjects with ongoing auditory hallucinations. The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) and the Quality of Life Scale (QLS) were administered to subjects who met DSM IV criteria for schizophrenia after due translation and validation. All subjects reported ongoing auditory hallucinations at recruitment. Mean composite cognitive insight scores from participants (N = 60) (2.97 ± 2.649) were in the lower range as compared to published literature. Cognitive insight scores as well as self-reflectiveness subscale scores, but not self-certainty scores, correlated significantly with the QLS scores p < 0.001. Results suggest that better cognitive insight, especially self-reflectiveness, may be linked to better quality of life. Self-reflectiveness could be a useful construct to address in psychotherapy to improve rehabilitation.

The relative contributions of social cognition and self-reflectiveness to clinical insight in enduring schizophrenia

Poor clinical insight represents a major barrier to recovery in schizophrenia. Research suggests that higher-order social cognitive abilities such as theory of mind (TOM) and metacognition contribute to levels of clinical insight. However, few studies have examined whether social cognitive abilities other than TOM are related to clinical insight. Moreover, to date, no investigation has attempted to determine whether the contribution of metacognitive ability to clinical insight can be differentiated from the contribution of higher-order social cognition, despite their conceptual similarity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relative contribution of different social cognitive abilities, as well as metacognition, to clinical insight in a large sample of 139 enduring schizophrenia patients, and controlling for established predictors of clinical insight. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to evaluate the portion of variance explained by 3 social cognitive abilities: emotion recognition, TOM, and affective empathy, and the metacognitive ability of self-reflectiveness. Clinical insight levels were assessed using the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded version. Results indicated that affective empathy and self-reflectiveness are the strongest predictors of clinical insight. These results provide insights on the development of targeted interventions for improving clinical insight in this population.

Relationship of depression with cognitive insight and socio-occupational outcome in patients with schizophrenia

AIM

To evaluate the prevalence of depression using different measures in patients with schizophrenia and to study the relationship of depression in schizophrenia with cognitive insight and clinical insight, disability and socio-occupational functioning.

METHODS

A total of 136 patients with schizophrenia were evaluated for depression, cognitive insight and socio-occupational functioning.

RESULTS

Of the 136 patients included in the study, one-fourth ( N = 34; 25%) were found to have depression as per the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The prevalence of depression as assessed by Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) and Depressive Subscale of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-D) was 23.5%, 19.9% and 91.9%, respectively. Among the different scales, CDSS has highest concordance with clinician's diagnosis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for CDSS was also higher than that noted for HDRS and PANSS-D. When those with and without depression as per clinician's diagnosis were compared, those with depression were found to have significantly higher scores on Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) positive and general psychopathology subscales, PANSS total score, participation restriction as assessed by P-scale and had lower level of functioning as assessed by Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). No significant difference was noted on negative symptom subscale of PANSS, clinical insight as assessed on G-12 item of PANSS, disability as assessed by Indian Disability Evaluation and Assessment Scale (IDEAS) and socio-occupational functioning as assessed by Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFS). In terms of cognitive insight, those with depression had significantly higher score for both the subscales, that is, self-reflective and self-certainty subscales as well as the mean composite index score.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that one-fourth of patients with schizophrenia have depression, compared to HDRS and PANSS-D, CDSS has highest concordance with clinician's diagnosis of depression and presence of depression is related to cognitive insight.

Can cognitive insight predict symptom remission in a first episode psychosis cohort?

BACKGROUND

The outcome of first episode psychosis (FEP) is highly variable and difficult to predict. Cognitive insight measured at illness onset has previously been found to predict psychopathology 12-months later. The aims of this study were to examine whether the prospective relationship between cognitive insight and symptom severity is evident at four-years following FEP and to examine some psychological correlates of cognitive insight.

METHODS

FEP participants (n = 90) completed the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) at illness onset, and associations between BCIS scores with symptom severity outcomes (4-years after FEP) were assessed. The BCIS scales (self-reflectiveness and self-certainty) were examined as a composite score, and individually compared to other cognitive measures (IQ and jumping to conclusions (JTC) bias).

RESULTS

Regression analyses revealed that the cognitive insight composite did not predict 4-year symptom remission in this study while the self-reflection subscale of the BCIS predicted severity of symptoms at 4-years. Self-certainty items of the BCIS were not associated with symptom severity. Significant correlations between the JTC bias, self-certainty and IQ were found, but self-reflection did not correlate with these other cognitive measures.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-reflective capacity is a more relevant and independent cognitive construct than self-certainty for predicting prospective symptom severity in psychosis. Improving self-reflection may be a useful target for early intervention research.

Unrealistic self-overconfidence in schizophrenia is associated with left presubiculum atrophy and impaired episodic memory

The study aimed at investigating the role of the hippocampal subfields in cognitive insight and the clinical and neuropsychological underpinnings of the related two sub-dimensions, Self-Reflectiveness (SR), i.e., openness to external feedback, and Self-Certainty (SC), i.e., unrealistic overconfidence in one's opinions. In order to do this, 45 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and 45 age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects (HC) were administered the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS), along with neuropsychological, clinical and psychopathological assessment, and underwent an MRI investigation. Hippocampal segmentation was carried out. Regression analyses were performed for BCIS indexes, volumetric parameters of hippocampal subfields and clinical and neuropsychological variables. Results highlighted that in the schizophrenia group, higher levels of SC were related to reduced volume of the left presubiculum, and worse episodic memory. No significant relationship emerged for the SR index. There was no significant relationship between any of the BCIS indexes and volumetric data of the hippocampal subfields in the HC group. Our data support the hypothesis that unrealistic self-overconfidence in schizophrenia is related to the hippocampal presubiculum atrophy, which is involved in episodic memory and cognitive control and is supposed to be underpinned by difficulty in integrating new memories and thus in generating new hypotheses about the self.

Clinical and cognitive insight in patients with acute-phase psychosis: Association with treatment and neuropsychological functioning

BACKGROUND

The severity of psychopathology cannot fully explain deficits in the multi-dimensional construct of insight.

AIMS

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlates and associations of clinical and cognitive insight in patients in an acute phase of psychosis and to analyse the impact of acute treatment on these variables.

METHODS

This study examined 47 inpatients who were recently hospitalized with acute exacerbation of schizophrenia. All subjects were assessed at both admission and discharge with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded Version (SAI-E), Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS), and a neurocognition battery.

RESULTS

Patients with schizophrenia gained clinical insight after treatment. Cognitive insight did not change significantly after treatment. Insight showed significant negative correlations with positive symptoms and general psychopathology, but not with negative symptoms. Clinical insight was not associated with neuropsychological functioning in this cohort.

CONCLUSION

Gaining clinical insight in the acute phase of illness was associated with the remission of positive symptoms, but not with neuropsychological functioning. Some significant correlations between clinical and cognitive insights were detected, which suggests that cognitive insight contributes to clinical insight but is not treatment-dependent. Long-term treatment may be required to understand the contribution of insight to the outcome of patients with schizophrenia.

Self-reflection and set-shifting mediate awareness in cognitively preserved schizophrenia patients

BACKGROUND

Poor insight in schizophrenia has been linked to poor cognitive functioning, psychological processes such as denial, or more recently with impaired metacognitive capacity. Few studies, however, have investigated the potential co-dependency of multiple factors in determining level of insight, but such a model is necessary in order to account for patients with good cognitive functioning who have very poor awareness. As evidence suggests that set-shifting and cognitive insight (self-reflection (SR) and self-certainty) are strong predictors of awareness we proposed that these factors are key mediators in the relationship between cognition and awareness. We hypothesised that deficits specifically in SR and set-shifting determine level of awareness in the context of good cognition.

METHODS

Thirty schizophrenia patients were stratified by high and low awareness of illness and executive functioning scores. Cognitive insight, cognition, mood and symptom measures were compared between sub-groups.

RESULTS

A low insight/high executive functioning (LI-HE) group, a high insight/high executive functioning (HI-HE) group and a low insight/low executive functioning (LI-LE) group were revealed. As anticipated, the LI-HE patients showed significantly lower capacity for SR and set-shifting than the HI-HE patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that good cognitive functioning is necessary but not sufficient for good awareness; good awareness specifically demands preserved capacity to self-reflect and shift-set. Results support Nelson and Narens' [1990. Metamemory: A theoretical framework and new findings. The Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 26, 125-173] model of metacognition by which awareness is founded on control (set-shifting) and monitoring (SR) processes. These specific factors could be targeted to improve insight in patients with otherwise unimpaired cognitive function.

Metacognitive training for young subjects (MCT young version) in the early stages of psychosis: Is the duration of untreated psychosis a limiting factor?

OBJECTIVES

The treatment program 'Metacognitive training for patients with schizophrenia' (MCT) addresses cognitive biases assumed to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of delusions (e.g., jumping to conclusions, theory of mind deficits). The aim of our study was to examine the effectiveness and the feasibility of this intervention targeted to early phases of psychosis (MCT young version).

DESIGN

An experimental design included two groups of subjects on the basis of their duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) 'short' (less or equal than 12 months) and 'long' DUP (longer than 12 months), assessed at baseline and after the 4-month intervention.

METHODS

Fifty-six young subjects affected by early psychosis were assessed on psychopathology, social functioning, neurocognitive, and metacognitive measures. The primary outcome was the reduction of psychopathology. Secondary outcomes included reduction of cognitive and emotional dysfunction and improvement of social functioning.

RESULTS

At the end of the 4-month MCT, both groups showed significant improvements in many variables: positive symptoms, cognitive functions, as verbal memory, attention and mental flexibility, and metacognitive functions, as cognitive insight. Significant and positive changes were found in theory of mind abilities and social perception.

CONCLUSIONS

The difference in DUP between the two groups of young subjects of our sample did not seem to influence the intervention outcomes, still taking into account that the average difference between the two groups in terms of DUP is 12.6 months.

PRACTITIONER POINTS

Metacognition refers to the general ability 'to think about thinking,' that is, the ability to think about one's mental state and the mental states of others. Persons with schizophrenia experience different metacognitive impairments. The metacognitive training for patients with schizophrenia - young version can be applied to young people affected by psychosis and seems to improve symptomatology, social functioning, cognitive, and metacognitive abilities, independently by their Duration of Untreated Psychosis over a 2-year period.

Implicit and explicit self-related processing in relation to insight in patients with schizophrenia

INTRODUCTION

Self-related processing (SRP) has been associated with clinical and cognitive insight. We investigated the relationship between implicit SRP (ISRP) and explicit SRP (ESRP) and insight. We first hypothesised that impaired insight is associated with the extent to which implicit feedback is incorporated in the self-image and subsequently influences behaviour. Second, we hypothesised that impaired insight is related to the way patients handle explicit feedback and use it to guide subsequent behaviour, therefore we expected to find a positive relationship between level of insight and the explicit self-related processing task.

METHODS

Thirty-four schizophrenia patients and 23 healthy controls participated in the study. Patients were assessed with the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded and the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. ISRP was measured using a working memory two-back priming task. ESRP was measured with an adapted version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task where patients received explicit feedback on their performance.

RESULTS

Cognitive insight, but not clinical insight, was positively associated with ISRP after implicit positive cues. Both clinical and cognitive insight were positively associated with the ability to adjust performance upon receiving explicit feedback, though cognitive insight was more strongly associated with overall task performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Priming with positive cues improved performance on a working memory task in patients with good cognitive insight, but worsened performance in patients with impaired cognitive insight. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the ability to adequately use feedback may be a specific capacity that is related to insight.

The relationship between cognitive insight and quality of life in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: Symptom severity as potential moderator

Cognitive insight is implicated in the formation and maintenance of hallucinations and delusions. However, it is not yet known whether cognitive insight relates to broader outcome measures like quality of life. In the current study, we investigated whether the component elements of cognitive insight-self-certainty and self-reflectiveness-were related to quality of life for 43 outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Cognitive insight was assessed using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) while quality of life was assessed with Quality of Life Scale (QLS). We tested whether this relationship was moderated by clinical insight and symptom severity using the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). We found that self- reflectiveness had an unmoderated positive relationship with quality of life. Self-certainty was associated with better quality of life for people with more severe symptoms. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed and areas of future research are proposed.

The relationship between cognitive insight and depression in psychosis and schizophrenia: a review and meta-analysis

Lack of insight is a commonly observed problem in patients with psychosis and schizophrenia. Clinical insight in patients has been associated with low mood. Cognitive insight is a recently defined concept, relating to the ability to self-reflect and the degree to which patients are over-confident regarding their interpretations of illness-related experiences, and is related to clinical insight. We therefore sought to investigate whether there is a positive relationship between cognitive insight and mood. A literature search identified 17 relevant papers published between 2004 and 2014. Our analysis indicated that there was a small but significant positive correlation between the composite index (CI) of the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) and depression scores, but this was driven by a significant positive relationship between depression and the BCIS self-reflection (SR) sub-scale, where low mood was related to higher SR scores. There was no significant relationship between the self-certainty sub-scale and depression. Post-hoc analysis indicated that different depression scales did not significantly affect the relationship with SR. Our results support the idea that cognitive insight is significantly related to mood in schizophrenia, and the effect size is similar to that between clinical insight and mood. Potential applications of this knowledge into treatment and rehabilitation are discussed and a model of cognitive insight is proposed.

Personality-related core beliefs in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia plus depression: A comparison with depressed and healthy control groups

BACKGROUND

Personality has an important role in understanding both fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and major depressive disorder (MDD).

AIMS

This study considers the question that specific personality features may characterize depressed FMS patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To this end, 125 individuals were included in the study: 40 of them diagnosed with FMS+ MDD, 40 with MDD only and 45 healthy controls. Individual Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Personality Belief Questionnaire-Short Form (PBQ-SF) scores were compared between the three groups.

RESULTS

The mean scores for each personality domain of the PBQ-SF were the highest in the MDD group and the lowest mean scores appeared in the control group. Dependent personality and obsessive-compulsive personality scores were higher in the MDD group (t = 2.510, P = 0.014 and t = 2.240, P = 0.028, respectively) in comparison with the FM+ MDD group. However, this difference disappeared when PBQ-SF scores were controlled for depression severity.

CONCLUSIONS

Although some common personality features are evident in FMS patients, it seems that the differences identified are primarily related to depression symptom severity.

A National network of schizophrenia expert centres: An innovative tool to bridge the research-practice gap

Schizophrenia is probably the most severe psychiatric disorder with much suffering for the patients and huge costs for the society. Efforts to provide optimal care by general practitioners and psychiatrists are undermined by the complexity of the disorder and difficulties in applying clinical practice guidelines and new research findings to the spectrum of cases seen in day-to-day practice. An innovative model of assessment aimed at improving global care of people with schizophrenia provided by the French national network of schizophrenia expert centres is being described. Each centre has established strong links to local health services and provides support to clinicians in delivering personalized care plans. A common set of assessment tools has been adopted by the ten centres spread over the whole French territory. A web application, e-schizo(©) has been created to record data in a common computerized medical file. This network offers systematic, comprehensive, longitudinal, and multi-dimensional assessments of cases including a medical workup and an exhaustive neuropsychological evaluation. This strategy offers an effective way to transfer knowledge and share expertise. This network is a great opportunity to improve the global patient care and is conceived as being an infrastructure for research from observational cohort to translational research.

Effects of sub-clinical psychosis and cognitive insight on psychological well-being: a structural equation model

Psychological well-being has been widely researched along the psychosis spectrum, and increased psychotic symptoms are generally associated with worse well-being. Additionally, the construct of insight has been extensively studied in schizophrenia. While having greater insight has many benefits for those with schizophrenia, a paradox exists in which greater insight is also associated with poorer psychological well-being. However, it is unclear whether the link between insight and poor well-being occurs only once serious psychopathology has been established, or whether this is a more universal process seen even at lower levels on the psychosis spectrum. We used a structural modeling approach in an ethnically diverse, non-clinical sample of 420 undergraduates to evaluate the association between sub-clinical psychosis, cognitive insight and psychological well-being. As hypothesized, results indicated that sub-clinical psychotic symptoms were negatively associated with psychological well-being. The insight paradox was also substantiated, as greater cognitive insight was associated with worse psychological well-being. However, cognitive insight did not moderate the association between symptoms and well-being. The link between sub-clinical psychotic symptoms and psychological well-being as well as the insight paradox appears to emerge even before reaching threshold for a psychotic disorder. Research and clinical implications are discussed.

Is good insight associated with depression among patients with schizophrenia? Systematic review and meta-analysis

Among patients with schizophrenia, better insight may be associated with depression, but the findings on this issue are mixed. We examined the association between insight and depression in schizophrenia by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was based on 59 correlational studies and showed that global clinical insight was associated weakly, but significantly with depression (effect size r=0.14), as were the insight into the mental disorder (r=0.14), insight into symptoms (r=0.14), and symptoms' attributions (r=0.17). Conversely, neither insight into the social consequences of the disorder nor into the need for treatment was associated with symptoms of depression. Better cognitive insight was significantly associated with higher levels of depression. The exploratory meta-regression showed that methodological factors (e.g. the instrument used to assess depression and the phase of the illness) can significantly influence the magnitude of the association between insight and depression. Moreover, results from longitudinal studies suggest that the relation between insight and depression might be stronger than what is observed at the cross-sectional level. Finally, internalized stigma, illness perception, recovery attitudes, ruminative style, and premorbid adjustment seem to be relevant moderators and/or mediators of the association between insight and depression. In conclusion, literature indicates that among patients with schizophrenia, better insight is associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Thus, interventions aimed at promoting patients' insight should take into account the clinical implications of these findings.

Insight in schizophrenia: relationship to positive, negative and neurocognitive dimensions

Impairment of insight is considered as the hallmark of schizophrenia. Substantial proportion of patients with schizophrenia has either poor or absent insight. Insight is a multidimensional and dynamic construct which appears to have intricate links with other symptom dimensions of the psychotic illness. A better appreciation of the association that insight shares with other symptom clusters in psychosis could help us in gaining knowledge about aetiology, prognosis and treatment-related facets of the disorder. This is likely to have critical implications in the understanding and therapeutics of schizophrenia.

Is personal recovery in schizophrenia predicted by low cognitive insight?

Recovery is a widely discussed concept in the field of research, treatment, and public policy regarding serious mental illness, and mainly schizophrenia. Aim of our study was to assess the relationship between personal recovery and prediction variables, as psychopathology, neurocognition, clinical and cognitive insight, and social functioning in inpatients affected by schizophrenia, with a special interest on cognitive insight. We assessed 76 inpatients affected by schizophrenia at their hospital discharge. Instruments included the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale, the Insight Scale and the Recovery Assessment Scale to assess the cognitive and clinical insight, and personal recovery. The neurocognitive assessment was represented by a single factor score produced by a principal components analysis of a neurocognitive test battery. Social functioning was measured also. Low self-reflectiveness of cognitive insight represented the best predictors of personal recovery. The relationship between cognitive insight and recovery found in this study may contribute to develop tailored interventions, taking into account the personal sense of recovery, despite the psychopathological evaluation.

Relationship between cognitive insight and subjective quality of life in outpatients with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

The concept of cognitive insight refers to the cognitive processes involved in patients' re-evaluation of their anomalous experiences and of their misinterpretations. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between cognitive insight and subjective quality of life in patients with schizophrenia to further shed light on the nature of cognitive insight and its functional correlates in schizophrenia.

METHODS

Seventy-one stable outpatients with schizophrenia were evaluated for cognitive insight and subjective quality of life using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) and the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Revision 4 (SQLS-R4). The symptoms of schizophrenia were also assessed. Pearson's correlation analysis and partial correlation analysis that controlled for the severity of symptoms were performed to adjust for the possible effects of symptoms.

RESULTS

The self-reflectiveness subscale score of the BCIS had significant positive correlations with the SQLS-R4 psychosocial domain and total SQLS-R4 scores, indicating that the higher the level of cognitive insight, the lower the subjective quality of life. In partial correlation analysis controlling for symptoms, the BCIS self-reflectiveness subscale score still had a significant correlation with the SQLS-R4 psychosocial domain score. The correlation coefficient between the BCIS self-reflectiveness and total SQLS-R4 scores was reduced to a nonsignificant statistical tendency.

CONCLUSION

The results of our study suggest that cognitive insight, particularly the level of self-reflectiveness, is negatively associated with the level of subjective quality of life in outpatients with schizophrenia and that this relationship is not wholly due to the confounding effect of symptoms. Future studies are necessary to explore possible mediating and moderating factors and to evaluate the effects of therapeutic interventions on the relationship.

Impaired insight into illness and cognitive insight in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: resting state functional connectivity

BACKGROUND

Impaired insight into illness (clinical insight) in schizophrenia has negative effects on treatment adherence and clinical outcomes. Schizophrenia is described as a disorder of disrupted brain connectivity. In line with this concept, resting state networks (RSNs) appear differentially affected in persons with schizophrenia. Therefore, impaired clinical, or the related construct of cognitive insight (which posits that impaired clinical insight is a function of metacognitive deficits), may reflect alterations in RSN functional connectivity (fc). Based on our previous research, which showed that impaired insight into illness was associated with increased left hemisphere volume relative to right, we hypothesized that impaired clinical insight would be associated with increased connectivity in the DMN with specific left hemisphere brain regions.

METHODS

Resting state MRI scans were acquired for participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (n=20). Seed-to-voxel and ROI-to-ROI fc analyses were performed using the CONN-fMRI fc toolbox v13 for established RSNs. Clinical and cognitive insight were measured with the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded Version and Beck Cognitive Insight Scale, respectively, and included as the regressors in fc analyses.

RESULTS

As hypothesized, impaired clinical insight was associated with increased connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) with the left angular gyrus, and also in the self-referential network (SRN) with the left insula. Cognitive insight was associated with increased connectivity in the dorsal attention network (DAN) with the right inferior frontal cortex (IFC) and left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).

CONCLUSION

Increased connectivity in DMN and SRN with the left angular gyrus and insula, respectively, may represent neural correlates of impaired clinical insight in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and is consistent with the literature attributing impaired insight to left hemisphere dominance. Increased connectivity in the DAN with the IFC and ACC in relation to cognitive insight may facilitate enhanced mental flexibility in this sample.

The effects of aging on insight into illness in schizophrenia: a review

OBJECTIVES

Impaired insight into illness is a prevalent feature of schizophrenia, which negatively influences treatment adherence and clinical outcomes. Little is known about the effects of aging on insight impairment. We aimed to review the available research literature on the effects of aging on insight into illness in schizophrenia, in relation to positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. Ultimately, we propose a trajectory of insight in schizophrenia across the lifespan.

METHOD

A systematic Medline® literature search was conducted, searching for English language studies describing the relationship of insight into illness in schizophrenia with aging.

RESULTS

We identified 62 studies. Insight impairment is associated with illness severity, premorbid intellectual function (i.e. IQ), executive function, and memory. Insight impairment improves modestly during midlife, worsening again in late life. It tends to fluctuate with each episode of psychosis, likely in relation to worsening positive symptoms that improve with antipsychotic treatment. The relationship between insight impairment and cognitive dysfunction appears to attenuate with age, while the relationship with lower premorbid intellectual function is preserved. The association between impaired insight and negative symptoms is unclear.

CONCLUSIONS

The available literature suggests that the course of insight impairment follows a U-shaped curve, where insight impairment is severe during the first episode of psychosis, modestly improves over midlife, and declines again in late life. Future studies are required to investigate the trajectory of insight into illness and its core domains across the lifespan from prodromal phase to late life.

Cognitive insight in schizophrenia patients and their biological parents: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Clinical insight in schizophrenia patients is partly associated with familial environment but has been poorly studied to date. We aimed to explore (1) the relationship between parents' cognitive insight and their offspring's; (2) the relationship between parents' cognitive insight and their clinical insight into the disease of their offspring; and (3) the clinical and cognitive determinants of cognitive insight in parents.

METHODS

Cognitive insight was assessed in 37 patient-biological parent pairs/dyads with the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS). Other measures included the Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder and cognitive assessments.

RESULTS

We found no significant association between parents' cognitive insight and their offspring's. Conversely, a positive association between parents' cognitive insight and parents' insight into their offspring's symptoms was found. Better awareness of their offspring's specific symptoms was associated with lower levels of overconfidence in one's beliefs and with BCIS total score. BCIS Self-Certainty and BCIS total score were associated with better executive functioning and verbal comprehension.

CONCLUSIONS

Better insight into their offspring's symptoms is associated with cognitive insight in biological parents of schizophrenia patients. Our results support the integration of cognitive intervention targeting parents' cognitive flexibility in family psychoeducational programs and provide an important first step towards developing a more refined understanding of the factors involved in insight into symptoms of illness in parents of schizophrenia patients.

Relationship between cognitive insight and attenuated delusional symptoms in individuals with at-risk mental state

Cognitive insight, defined as the ability to evaluate and correct one׳s own distorted beliefs and misinterpretations, is hypothesized to contribute to the development of psychotic symptoms. We investigated cognitive insight in individuals with at-risk mental state (ARMS), which is associated with a clinically high risk of psychosis. Sixty individuals with ARMS were compared with 200 healthy controls in terms of cognitive insight measured using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. We also investigated the relationship between cognitive insight and attenuated delusional symptoms. In addition, we examined differences in the cognitive insight of individuals with ARMS with or without near-threshold delusional symptoms and differences in the cognitive insight of individuals with ARMS with or without later transition to psychosis. The results showed that individuals with ARMS exhibited higher self-certainty than healthy controls, indicating impairments in cognitive insight in the former. More importantly, our results revealed that self-certainty was correlated with attenuated delusional symptoms and that individuals with ARMS who had near threshold delusional symptoms had higher self-certainty. These findings indicate that overconfidence in one׳s own beliefs or judgments might be related to the formation and maintenance of attenuated delusions in individuals with ARMS.

Depression in schizophrenia: the influence of the different dimensions of insight

Improving insight in patients with schizophrenia appears necessary to enhance medication adherence and clinical outcome, but in some patients acquiring insight can paradoxically increase hopelessness, depression and suicidal behavior. The aim of this study is to explore the association of two dimensions of insight (cognitive and clinical) with depression, hopelessness and clinical variables in patients with psychosis. Using a cross-sectional design, 61 remitted outpatients meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders were included. Insight was assessed using the "Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder" (SUMD), the PANSS-item G12 and the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS). Overall, 41.2% of the sample had a history of suicide attempts. Patients in the high clinical insight group had significantly higher depression scores, higher hopelessness scores, greater histories of suicide attempts and were more likely to have received psychoeducation. Compared to patients with low cognitive insight, those with high overall cognitive insight were significantly more depressed and had more often received psychoeducation. Greater insight may have negative consequences in terms of depressive symptoms and therefore presents a challenge to clinicians in assessing the individual risks and benefits of strategies intended to enhance awareness of mental disorder.

Differential associations of cognitive insight components with pretreatment characteristics in first-episode psychosis

An increasing number of studies have focused on cognitive insight (i.e. awareness of one's own thinking) in psychotic disorders. However, little is known about the premorbid and pretreatment correlates of cognitive insight in the early course of psychosis. One hundred and three patients experiencing first-episode psychosis (FEP) were assessed shortly after treatment initiation for cognitive insight. Pretreatment and baseline clinical, functional and neurocognitive characteristics were examined. The self-reflectiveness dimension of cognitive insight was independently associated with clinical insight and executive functioning, whereas self-certainty was associated with premorbid IQ, premorbid academic adjustment and clinical insight. The amount of variance explained by the independent variables was small to moderate. Self-reflectiveness and self-certainty have differential pretreatment correlates in FEP and may reflect separate cognitive processes which require targeted interventions.

Insight into illness in late-life schizophrenia: a function of illness severity and premorbid intellectual function

Impaired insight into illness is a common but poorly understood phenomenon in schizophrenia. Several studies in midlife adults with schizophrenia have reported an association between impaired insight and illness severity, executive dysfunction, premorbid intellectual function, and to a lesser degree attention. Aging is associated with a decline in attention and executive function. Thus, the relationship between cognition and insight is expected to differ between younger and older adults with schizophrenia. This study assessed this relationship among 50 patients with schizophrenia 60 years and older. Insight was explained by illness severity (16.2% of the variance) and premorbid intellectual function (23.9% of the variance), but not by attention or executive function. Our findings suggest that the predictors of insight in schizophrenia differ early and later in life. In particular, insight's association with attention and executive function observed in younger patients is attenuated by age-related changes in cognition. In contrast, premorbid intellectual function continues to be a strong predictor of insight in late life, which highlights the need to better understand and enhance cognitive function early in the course of schizophrenia.