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Is too much insight bad for you?

Part of: BJPsych Features: Insight in Psychosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 October 2024

Javier-David Lopez-Morinigo Open the ORCID record for Javier-David Lopez-Morinigo [Opens in a new window]  and
Anthony S. David Open the ORCID record for Anthony S. David [Opens in a new window]
Javier-David Lopez-Morinigo*
Affiliation:
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
Anthony S. David
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry, UCL Institute of Mental Health, London, UK
*
Correspondence: Javier-David Lopez-Morinigo. Email: [email protected]
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Summary

Insight in psychosis is associated with reduced psychotic symptom severity, less coercive treatment and better functioning. Controversially, it has been suggested that insight may lead to depression, higher suicide risk and worse self-perceived quality of life. Future clinical trials are warranted to address this ‘insight paradox’, particularly the direction of causality.

Keywords

Insightpsychosispositive outcomesnegative outcomes
Type
Feature
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 225 , Issue 4 , October 2024 , pp. 454 - 457
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal College of Psychiatrists

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