P03-16 - Causes and First Symptoms of Schizophrenia Relapse

Abstract

One of the main challenges of contemporary psychiatry in treating patients with schizophrenia is the early diagnostics and timely prevention of relapse of this disorder.

Objective

The goal of the study was to find the potential causes of psychotic episode recurrence and its first symptoms in rehospitalized patients with schizophrenia.

Methods

Patients with schizophrenia, who were urgently hospitalized to KUM Psychiatry clinic and had less than three psychotic episodes, took part in the study (N=97). Medical documentation and a structured questionnaire, designed by the authors, were used to evaluate anamnesis data.

Results

The main causes of relapse were: willful discontinuation of psychopharmacotherapy (50% of the cases), spontaneous relapses without any clear exogenous cause (20%), and onetime alcohol intoxication (8%). The patients and their family members indicated the following first symptoms of relapse: anxiety, fear (73%), sleep disorders (62%), aggression (52%), delusions and/ or hallucinations (37%). The symptoms tended to occur in combinations rather than individually.

Conclusions

Causes and symptoms of schizophrenia relapse differ from patient to patient. It is possible to prevent the relapse knowing the common causes and first symptoms, because most of the patients are able to detect the first symptoms themselves.