Remission after first-episode schizophrenia: Results of a long-term follow-up

The aim of this study was to identify the rate and predictors of remission after first episode of schizophrenia (FES). Ninety-three FES patients were followed for at least 12 months and up to 12 years (mean = 58.4 months) including monthly assessments with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale-Expanded (BPRS), the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS), and Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). We also administered the Premorbid Adjustment Scale (PAS). We used the remission criteria recently defined by Andreasen et al. (2005). Fifty-six (59.5%) patients met the remission criteria in the first 24 months of the follow-up period, but 40 (71.5%) of these patients could not maintain their status. However, 23 (57%) of these patients later met the remission criteria again. The remission group patients achieved a higher rate of employment both in the first year and overall. In the logistic regression analysis, lower negative and higher positive symptoms at admission, lower positive symptoms at month 3 of the follow-up, medication compliance in the first 6 months, and occupational status during the last month before admission were found related to remission status. Our findings suggest that the remission group has advantages in terms of occupational status and symptom severity compared with their counterparts who did not achieve or maintain a state of remission.