Prevalence of remission and recovery in schizophrenia in the Czech Republic.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to map the point prevalence of remission and recovery in patients with schizophrenia in the Czech Republic. METHOD: The point-symptomatic remission criteria were based on the definition of remission in schizophrenia according to Andreasen, without the time criterion. The definition of complete remission contained, in addition to the point-symptomatic remission criteria, a time aspect which was determined by the absence of psychiatric hospitalisation or a change in antipsychotic medications due to inefficiency in the preceding six months. Functional remission was defined by a total score on the PSP scale in the range between 71 and 100 points. Recovery was defined by the simultaneous fulfilment of the criteria for complete and functional remission. RESULTS: A total of 481 patients with schizophrenia were included in the study. The point-symptomatic remission criteria were fulfilled in a total of 258 patients (54%); complete remission occurred in a total of 214 patients (44%). Functional remission was reached by 124 patients (26%) in total. Recovery was proven in a total of 91 patients (19%). CONCLUSION: The ascertained data are in accordance with the results of methodologically similar studies and confirm the known trajectories of the course of schizophrenia.