Body weight and self-esteem in patients with schizophrenia evaluated with B-WISE®

BackgroundMetabolic abnormalities and weight gain are an important problem in patients with schizophrenia. An instrument to evaluate body image and self-esteem related to weight has recently been developed (B-WISE®). The first objective was to evaluate whether the findings of the original validation study could be confirmed in a European sample. The second objective was to explore the association of B-WISE® scores with the metabolic syndrome and glucose abnormalities.MethodsA Dutch translation of B-WISE® was tested in a large sample of patients with schizophrenia (n = 300) who underwent an extensive metabolic screening.ResultsThe original findings with B-WISE® were confirmed in an independent sample. Scores on B-WISE® differed significantly as a function of BMI. Scores on B-WISE® also differentiated patients with and without the metabolic syndrome and glucose abnormalities. Patients experiencing a recent weight gain had lower self-esteem and poorer psychosocial adaptation.ConclusionB-WISE® could be a useful instrument to evaluate the subjective psychosocial consequences associated with current weight and weight gain in patients with schizophrenia.