Perceived extent of recovery and risk of relapse following first episode psychosis

Abstract

Patient’s perception of recovery from first-episode psychosis is a less well covered area in existing assessment and research. The Psychosis Recovery Inventory (PRI) is a self-administered questionnaire developed to address key issues in the recovery stage. This study applied the PRI to survey perceived extent of recovery and the risk of relapse in a sample of patients recovering from first episode psychosis. The PRI was administrated to 51 patients in the recovery period following a first psychotic episode.The PRI required patients to rate their perceived levels of recovery and risk of relapse with a visual analog scale. In addition, respondents indicated their attitudes towards 32 items covering different aspects of recovery with a 6-point Likert scale.We explored howthese attitudes are related to the perceptions of recovery and relapse. More than 33.3% of patients perceived a low risk of relapse (10% or lower), but only 7.9% of them recognized a high relapse risk (90% or higher). 11.8% of the patients considered they had a full recovery, while on the other hand, 21.6% of the patients perceive they had recovered less than 50%. Perception of non recovery is related to the presence of cognitive problems and impairment in occupational functioning. In addition, the need to continue on medication is rating as an important recovery for the perception of non-recovery. We successfully applied a tailor-made questionnaire to explore attitudes and perceptions of relapse and recovery in a sample of patients recovering from a first psychotic episode. Despite comprehensive psychoeducation, patients still tended to underestimate their risks of relapse. The need for continuing medication is a major contributor to the sense of non-recovery in first episode patient. These issues have potential therapeutic implications.