Relative Contributions of Psychiatric Symptoms and Neuropsychological Functioning to Quality of Life in First-Episode Psychosis (original) (raw)

2005, Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry

Objective: To repor t on the relationship between quality of life (QOL), psychiatric symptoms and neuropsychological functioning in a sample of young people who have experienced a first episode of psychosis 2–3 years following initial presentation. Method: Fifty-one participants aged 15–27 years old completed the short form of the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale (WHOQOL-Brèf), a self-repor t instrument assessing physical, psychological, social and environmental aspects of QOL. A comprehensive neuropsychological batterywas administered. Measures of psychiatric symptoms including depression (as assessed by the Calgary Depression Scale), positive, negative and general psychopathology (as assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) were obtained. Results: Multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the ability of neuropsychological measures and psychiatric symptoms to predict QOL. When neuropsychological variables were considered on their own, cognitive ...