Premorbid Personality in First-Onset Psychosis

Abstract

The data presented are those from a two-year prospective study of 69 patients identified in the Nottingham field centre of the WHO Study of Determinants of Outcome of Severe Mental Disorders. Premorbid personality, childhood adjustment and adolescent adjustment were assessed at the patients' first presentation to psychiatric services with a psychotic illness. Ratings were made blind to diagnosis. Premorbid explosive and paranoid traits were commoner in patients with schizophrenia than in patients with other non-organic psychoses, and these traits were associated with later onset of schizophrenia. Premorbid schizoid traits were significantly commoner in patients with schizophrenia compared to patients with other psychoses, but only in those patients for whom a parent was the informant. Schizoid traits were no commoner in men with schizophrenia than in women, and were not associated with earlier age of onset. The findings suggest that premorbid personality, in men and women, may shape the expression of symptoms produced during an illness episode.

A Population-Based Cohort Study of Premorbid Intellectual, Language, and Behavioral Functioning in Patients With Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, and Nonpsychotic Bipolar Disorder

“…Studies directly comparing the premorbid functioning of persons with schizophrenia and those with affective psychosis have shown greater impairments in intellectual and social functioning in the schizophrenia group (22,31,32). Studies comparing social and intellectual functioning during childhood in future affective psychosis patients, compared with healthy comparison subjects, have reported mixed results: some found no significant premorbid social or intellectual abnormalities in future affective psychosis patients (3,14,23,30), and others have found such abnormalities (20,21,33).…”

Clinical profiles, scope and general findings of the Western Sydney First Episode Psychosis Project

“…Although past reports had indicated that subjects with schizophrenia [14,[33][34][35] have poorer levels of premorbid social functioning, debate remained about premorbid psychosocial dysfunction in mood disorders [33,34]. Remarkably little difference was observed between groups for this measure until adolescence when the level of academic attainment dropped for both the 'Mixed Psychosis' and 'Schizophrenia' groups.…”

Subjective quality of life in recent onset of psychosis patients and its association with sociodemographic variables, psychotic symptoms and clinical personality traits

“…The use of this instrument is indicated for clinical population (Craig, 2005). There are a few publications that use this instrument in patients with psychosis such as Wickett et al (2006) and ROP patients such as Dalkin, Murphy, Glazebrook, Medley, and Harrison (1994) The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) (Kay, Fiszbein, & Opler, 1987) in its Spanish adaptation (Peralta Martín & Cuesta Zorita, 1994) was used. Patients were assessed by their treating clinician.…”