Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Έγκαιρη Παρέμβαση στην ΨύχωσηLibrary of the School of Health Sciences
Author:
Fragkaki Anna-Maria
Supervisors info:
Γεώργιος Κωνσταντακόπουλος, Επιστημονικός Συνεργάτης, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Στέφανος Δημητρακόπουλος, Επιστημονικός Συνεργάτης, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Πενταγιώτισσα Στεφανάτου, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Λογοθεραπείας, Πανεπιστήμιο Πελοποννήσου
Original Title:
Η σχέση μεταξύ εναισθησίας και απάθειας στη σχιζοφρένεια
Translated title:
The relationship between insight and apathy in schizophrenia
Summary:
Apathy, as a core negative symptom of schizophrenia, is characterised by lack of motivation and emotional response. Insight refers to the ability of patients to recognise their illness and symptoms and to adhere to treatment. Despite extensive research on the relationship between apathy and insight in neuropsychiatric disorders, the mechanisms linking them in schizophrenia remain unclear. The current study examined the potential impact of apathy, cognitive functions and Theory of Mind (ToM) on insight of patients with schizophrenia.
The study was conducted on a sample of 60 chronic, stable outpatients. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to evaluate the predictive factors of insight. The results indicated that apathy and ToM influence both overall insight and symptom recognition. Additionally, it was found that positive symptoms and ToM affect the recognition of the illness. Apathy was the only factor associated with treatment adherence. Cognitive functions did not emerge as significant predictors of insight. Moreover, mediation analysis showed that ToM mediates the relationship between apathy and insight, partially explaining how apathy affects insight.
This study is the first to underscore the multidimensional nature of the relationship between apathy and insight in schizophrenia, highlighting the pivotal role of ToM. Future research is deemed necessary to explore the relationship between apathy, insight, and ToM, the mechanisms linking them, and the development of targeted interventions to improve these dimensions in patients with schizophrenia.
Main subject category:
Health Sciences
Keywords:
Apathy, Insight, Theory of mind, Neurocognitive functions, Negative symptoms, Psychopathology
Number of references:
268
File:
File access is restricted until 2025-08-04.
Fragkaki_AnnaMaria_MSc.pdf
2 MB
File access is restricted until 2025-08-04.
