Correlates of functional status in older patients with schizophrenia

Generalized Cognitive Impairments, Ability to Perform Everyday Tasks, and Level of Independence in Community Living Situations of Older Patients With Psychosis

“…Reduction of cognitive deficits and negative symptoms may improve patients' ability to function independently in the community. Cogni tive deficits have been related to impaired everyday functioning in patients with schizophrenia and have been shown to explain more variance in daily functioning than have psychiatric symptoms (1)(2)(3). A review of studies of neurocognitive deficits and functional outcome in schizophrenia concluded that vigilance, working memory, verbal memory, and executive functioning were strongly correlated with functional outcomes, including community functioning, social skills, and skill acquisition (4).…”

Everyday action planning in schizophrenia

“…Deficits in executive functioning are ubiquitous in this population (Barch et al, 2001;Barch & Smith, 2008;Elvevåg & Goldberg, 2000;Velligan & Bow-Thomas, 1999), with several studies reporting that people with schizophrenia show reliable differences from healthy controls on traditional neuropsychological tests of planning (Morice & Delahunty, 1996;Morris, Rushe, Woodruffe, & Murray, 1995;Staal, Hijman, Hulshoff, & Kahn, 2000). The extant literature also shows that cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are associated with reduced everyday functioning (Evans et al, 2003;Harvey, Green, Keefe, & Velligan, 2004;Kessler, Giovannetti, & MacMullen, 2007;Klapow et al, 1997;Patterson et al, 1998;Patterson, Goldman, McKibbin, Hughs, & Jeste, 2001;Semkovska, Bedard, Godbout, Limoge, & Stip, 2004;Semkovska, Stip, Godbout, Paquet, & Bedard, 2002;Sevy & Davidson, 1995;Velligan et al, 2007). However, the link between planning deficits and everyday functioning in schizophrenia has not been extensively studied.…”

Judgments of Financial Abilities of Severely Mentally Ill Individuals: A Comparison of Self-Report and an Objective Measure

“…While medication may control florid symptoms and related behavioural problems, some individuals with schizophrenia cannot perform instrumental activities of daily living independently, such as managing their own financial affairs (Craig, 1998). This can include deficits in financial abilities such as writing a cheque or managing a chequebook (Evans et al, 2003;Klapow et al, 1997;Patterson et al, 1998;Schmerler et al, 2006). Deficits in financial abilities can have profound legal, financial, psychological, and social ramifications for those with severe mental illnesses (Conrad et al, 1999;Gutheil & Appelbaum, 2000;Marson et al, 2000;Moye, 1996;Teschinsky, 2000;Vollmann et al, 2003;Webber et al, 2002).…”

“…However, those with schizophrenia vary widely in their degree of financial capacity. Whether they can manage their finances independently is a common and important referral question for clinicians (Patterson et al, 1998).…”