Social Functioning in First- and Multiepisode Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE: To compare the social functioning of individuals experiencing their first episodes of schizophrenia with those who have experienced multiple episodes and with nonpsychiatrically ill control subjects. METHOD: Subjects included 40 patients with first-episode (FE) schizophrenia, 40 patients with multiepisode (ME) schizophrenia, and a control group of 40 nonpsychiatrically ill individuals. Three social-functioning measures were used: the Social Functioning Scale (SFS), the Quality of Life Scale (QOL), and the Assessment of Interpersonal Problem-Solving Skills (AIPSS). RESULTS: Control subjects significantly outperformed FE and ME participants on all social-functioning measures. FE and ME samples did not differ in their performance on the SFS and the AIPSS. On the QLS, ME participants outperformed FE participants. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that deficits in social functioning are present near the onset of schizophrenia.