The relative contributions of insight and neurocognition to intrinsic motivation in schizophrenia.

Intrinsic motivation was described as the mental process of pursuing a task or an action because it is enjoyable or interesting in itself and was found to play a central role in the determination of the functional outcome of schizophrenia. Neurocognition is one of the most studied determinants of intrinsic motivation in clinically stable schizophrenia while little is known about the role of insight. Following this need we decided to focus on the contribution of different aspects of insight and of neurocognition to intrinsic motivation in a large sample (n = 176) of patients with stable schizophrenia. We performed three hierarchical linear regressions from which resulted that, among different insight aspects, the ability to correctly attribute signs and symptoms to the mental disorder made the strongest contribution to intrinsic motivation. Neurocognition, also, was significantly related to intrinsic motivation when analyzed simultaneously with insight. Moreover, even after accounting for sociodemographic and clinical variables significantly correlated with intrinsic motivation, the relationship between insight and neurocognition and intrinsic motivation remained statistically significant. These findings put the emphasis on the complex interplay between insight, neurocognition, and intrinsic motivation suggesting that interventions targeting both insight and neurocognition might possibly improve this motivational deficit in stable schizophrenia should.

Coping strategies in schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia: Differences and similarities.

Aims of the current study were to explore differences in coping between 58 patients with schizoaffective disorder (SAD) and 89 with schizophrenia (SZ) and to identify factors associated with coping in both disorders. The demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with SAD and with SZ were compared using ANOVA and χ(2). Pearson's correlations were calculated between coping styles and socio-demographic and clinical variables in each group. The significant ones were subsequently analyzed using multiple regressions. Patients with SAD used emotion oriented coping more frequently than patients 2016with SZ. In patients with SAD, self-esteem contributed to task-oriented; avolition-anhedonia (AA) to emotion-oriented; duration of illness and years of education to distraction; AA to social diversion. In patients with SZ, AA, the mental component summary score of the Short Form - 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and self-esteem contributed to emotion oriented coping; the mental component summary score of SF-36 to distraction; AA to social diversion. Our results suggest that patients with SAD and SZ use diverse coping strategies. A greater attention must be given to the presence of self-esteem and AA in individuals with both disorders. These factors are potentially modifiable from specific therapeutic interventions, which can produce effects on coping strategies.