Psychopathology and cognitive insight in patients with chronic schizophrenia

The concept of cognitive insight’ was introduced in 2004 to complement the specific domain of insight which taps into the cognitive processes of reflections, openness to corrective feedbacks and the extent of beliefs in one's own thought processes and experiences. The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) was specifically developed as a measure of cognitive insight. A factor analysis of BCIS yielded two factors of 15 item BCIS: (a) Self-reflectiveness (b) Self-certainty. The patients with schizophrenia are reported to have deficits in cognitive insight. This paper aims to explore the association of psychopathology and cognitive insight in patients with chronic schizophrenia. A cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at Institute of Mental Health and Hospital (IMHH), Agra, India. The sample consisted of 120 patients with chronic schizophrenia drawn from in-patients at IMHH, Agra. PANSS and Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) were administered on the patients. Linear regression analyses were performed separately for two factors of BCIS as predicted variables and following predictor variables (a) Positive (b) Negative (c) General Psychopathology. PANSS Positive and PANSS Negative psychopathology have significant positive association with self-certainty; and significant negative association with self-reflectiveness factor of BCIS. PANSS general psychopathology does not have any significant association with any of the factors. There is a significant association of positive and negative psychopathology; and cognitive insight in patients with chronic schizophrenia.