ABSTRACT
AIM: The aim of this study was to determine, if any, the factors associated with
relapse with a view to provide guidelines for prevention, early identification and
management of relapse in a community setting.
METHOD: The study is a retrospective record review of the patients attending
seven randomly selected Community Mental Health Clinics in Southern Gauteng
during the period January 1995 to June 2005. Two hundred and seventeen (217)
patients aged 18 years with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were included in the
study. Patients were excluded if the diagnosis of schizophrenia was made in the
preceding six months of the study. Demographic and clinical variables including
age, gender, marital status, source of income, highest level of education, non
compliance, presence of substance abuse, co-morbid psychiatric condition, the
presence and number of relapses and stressful life events were recorded on a
data schedule.
RESULTS: Two hundred and seventeen patients records were analysed: 61.8%
have had at least one relapse. The only factors that provided a significant
predictive factor for relapse included non compliance due side-effects, non
compliance due to lack of insight, and the presence of depressive symptoms.
64.2% of the study population were non compliers and 27.1% have had
depressive features. Demographic variables were not associated with relapse.
CONCLUSION: These findings imply that interventions aimed at reducing relapse
in schizophrenia should include improving medication compliance and early
detection and treatment of depression.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/4664 |
| Date | 12 March 2008 |
| Creators | Kazadi, Nyembue Jean-Bosco |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 21245 bytes, 19272 bytes, 11672 bytes, 69523 bytes, 23290 bytes, 76538 bytes, 32826 bytes, 12720 bytes, 11418 bytes, 33682 bytes, 10718 bytes, 14558 bytes, 39903 bytes, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf |
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