A functional comparison of patients with schizophrenia between the North and South of Europe

Introduction: The main objective of this study was to compare clinical and functional outcomes of patients with schizophrenia in Italy and Sweden with a special focus on daily functioning performance and real life milestones. Also, to study if outcome is to be regarded as a consequence of premorbid function, the level of symptom control and functional capacity or if other influences, such as cultural differences, must parallel be considered. Method: Ninety-five patients from three centres, Milan and Naples in Italy and Trollhattan in Sweden were investigated. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the UCSD Performance-Based Skills Assessment - Brief version were used together with patients' school history and their status of accommodation and occupation. Results: Patients in Trollhattan were more likely to live independently and patients in Naples to have a work or take part in education. Differences in symptoms and the performance test were present but subtle. Discussion: Differences in real life milestones were not explained by corresponding differences in symptoms, premorbid function or the performance-based test. It is therefore not appropriate only to present functional outcome as an expression of how successful treatment has been. (C) 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.