Schizophrenia Health Center

Keys to Recovery from Schizophrenia

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7. Cognitive abilities - Problem-solving, working memory, and perception skills were all linked with recovery.

8. Social skills - Poor interpersonal skills affected the degree of disability. None of the study participants showed more than very mild problems with social skills.

9. Personal history - Education, IQ, age that symptoms began, work history, and social skills affected recovery; 70% of those who recovered had a college degree before becoming ill; 13% completed two years of college.

10. Access to care - Continuous, comprehensive treatment is crucial to recovery. Among study participants, 91% reported receiving antipsychotic medication and psychotherapy, 48% had social skills training, 57% had family participation in their lives, 26% had vocational rehabilitation, and 61% benefited from self-help groups.

SOURCE: International Review of Psychiatry, November 2002. • News release, University of California, Los Angeles.