Minderheid van oudere patiënten met schizofrenie in symptomatische remissie*

Objective

To investigate which percentage of elderly schizophrenia patients show remission of psychotic symptoms, and to determine which clinical and social characteristics are associated with this symptomatic remission.

Design

Descriptive cohort study.

Method

All patients aged 60 years and over who were diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and who were being treated within a psychiatric catchment area in Amsterdam were asked to provide consent for study participation. The presence and intensity of psychotic symptoms was documented using the international criteria for symptomatic remission. In addition, we collected a number of clinical and social characteristics concerning the research group.

Results

29.4% of the 109 participants demonstrated symptomatic remission. These patients had more often been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and scored higher on measures of social functioning and collaboration with treatment. Being in remission was not related to age at onset of the disorder, a better mood or a subjectively higher quality of life.

Conclusion

Only a minority of elderly schizophrenia patients showed symptomatic remission. The relation between remission and social functioning and collaboration with treatment offers possibilities for intervention.

Conflict of interest: the institute of H.C. Comijs received a grant from NARSAD and she herself received payment for lectures from the Dutch Psychiatry Association (NVvP); A.T.F. Beekman received grants from Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, Janssen and Shire, and payment for lectures from Lundbeck and Eli Lilly. Financial support for this article: P.D. Meesters received an unrestricted educational grant from AstraZeneca.