FACTORS PREDICTING PSYCHOSOCIAL RECOVERY IN PSYCHIATRIC-PATIENTS

We examined factors associated with psychosocial recovery in patients receiving specialist psychiatric treatment by means of a questionnaire directed at staff and patients (n = 1084) in an extensive study perfo rmed in North Save, Kuopio, Finland. Psychosocial recovery was conside red to have taken place if the Global Assessment Scale (GAS) score had increased from the lowest estimate obtained during the preceding year by at least 28 points at the time of the study (n = 102). The remaini ng cases (n = 982) served as controls. In the univariate analysis of a ll of the patients, the factors associated with good recovery were a h igh level of basic education, a diagnosis of major depression and adeq uate social support. The opportunity to contact a therapist outside fi xed treatment visits was also a factor predicting psychosocial recover y. In the multivariate analysis, independent factors predicting recove ry were the high frequency of treatment contacts in cases of schizophr enia, previous hospitalization in major depression, and a high level o f basic education and hospitalization in personality disorders.