ИСТИНА

Introduction Schizophrenia is a complex neurobehavioral disorder for which there are many promising new treatments. Although in the past most attention was paid to psychopathology, current outcome parameters such as cognitive and occupational performance, emotional stability, quality of life and psychosocial functioning are recognized as important determinants of treatment success. Aim Тo describe the role of personality functioning in treatment outcomes in stable schizophrenia patients treated with atypical antipsychotics. Method Participants: the long-term course of remission (more than years) in 130 patients with schizophrenia treated with atypical antipsychotics with good response was observed. Instruments. The term ―personality functioning‖ has not been well-defined. In this study we use this term as follows: the ability to form a hierarchy of values, the ability to develop hobbies, have interests beyond the basic needs, the ability to live independently, to care for important others, to establish relations with the family members and outside the family, planning and implementation capacity. In our study we considered the ability to construct the well-developed the mental representation of the disease as one of the most important manifestations of personality functioning. Results To the end of the observation the group of patients with the same diagnosis, stage of illness at the beginning of the observation, similar treatment, good treatment response (at least absence of relapse) and good tolerability but different levels of the basic personality functioning fell into four subgroups with different types of the treatment outcome. The specific for the subgroups psychopathological and functional changes during the years of remission are described. Discussion The ability of patients to utilize the treatment resource, which might be called the "pharmacological credit", depends on the level of the personality functioning. The patients with the low and high levels took less advantage from this "credit" than the patients with the moderately reduced level.