Assessing cognitive insight in nonpsychiatric individuals and outpatients with schizophrenia in Taiwan: an investigation using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) was designed for the assessment of the cognitive processes involved in self-reflection and the ability to modify erroneous beliefs and misinterpretations. Studies investigating the factor structure of the BCIS have indicated a two-factor model in the psychotic population. The factor structure of the BCIS, however, has not received much consideration in the nonpsychiatric population. The present study examined the factor structure and validity of the BCIS and compared its scores between nonpsychiatric individuals and outpatients with psychosis.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>The Taiwanese version of the BCIS was administered to 507 nonpsychiatric individuals and 118 outpatients with schizophrenia. The psychometric properties of the BCIS were examined through the following analyses: exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, reliability, correlation analyses, and discriminative validity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The BCIS showed adequate internal consistency and stability over time. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on the 15-item measure indicated a two-factor solution that supported the two dimensions of the Taiwanese BCIS, which was also observed with the original BCIS. Following the construct validation, we obtained a composite index (self-reflectiveness minus self-certainty) of the Taiwanese BCIS that reflected cognitive insight. Consistent with previous studies, our results indicated that psychosis is associated with low self-reflectiveness and high self-certainty, which possibly reflect lower cognitive insight. Our results also showed that better cognitive insight is related to worse depression in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, but not in nonpsychiatric individuals. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.731. A composite index of 3 was a good limit, with a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 51%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The BCIS proved to be useful for measuring cognitive insight in Taiwanese nonpsychiatric and psychotic populations.</p

Motivation for treatment in patients with substance use disorder: personal volunteering versus legal/familial enforcement

Rabia Bilici,1 Esra Yazici,2 Ali Evren Tufan,3 Elif Mutlu,4 Filiz İzci,1 G&ouml;rkem Karakas Ugurlu5 1Erenkoy Mental Health and Neurology Training and Research Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Istanbul; 2Sakarya University, Medical Faculty, Department of Psychiatry, Sakarya, 3Abant Izzet Baysal University, Medical Faculty, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bolu, 4Bakirk&ouml;y Mental Health and Neurology Training and Research Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Istanbul, 5Yildirim Beyazit University, Medical Faculty, Department of Psychiatry, Ankara, Turkey Background: Motivation for treatment on the part of patients with addictive disorders is known to affect their prognosis, and lack thereof is reported to be among the most common reasons for failed treatment adherence and relapse after treatment. This study evaluated the relationship between volunteering, personality, demographic factors, and motivation for treatment. Methods: The study was conducted at a substance dependence center in the eastern part of Turkey. Forty-five patients (mean age 37.9&plusmn;11.2 years) with a substance use disorder were included. They were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) Axis II disorders. Depression and anxiety were evaluated using the Beck depression and anxiety inventories, and motivation for treatment was measured using the Turkish version of the Texas Christian University Motivation for Treatment scale. Results: All patients had been using substances daily and 41 (88.9%) had been using multiple drugs. The most commonly used substance was heroin (n=18, 40%). Voluntary admission was a predictor of motivation for treatment (P&lt;0.05). Having a personality disorder and higher depression scores were related to less motivation for treatment. Conclusion: Motivation for treatment is affected by external factors such as type of admission and internal factors such as personality disorder and depression. Investigation of ways to encourage voluntary admission for treatment instead of enforced strategies may be helpful for achieving higher levels of motivation for treatment in substance users. Keywords: substance use, motivation, treatment, voluntary, personality, depressio