Social support predicts 5-year outcome in first-episode schizophrenia

Investigations of social support in schizophrenia have been relatively sparse. In this research, patients with Ist-episode schizophrenia or affective psychosis were asked to describe supportive social relationships immediately prior to their Ist lifetime treatment contact and were interviewed 18 months and 5 years later for assessment of their social and occupational functioning. The results indicated that 18-month adaptive functioning was lower than in the year prior to Ist treatment contact but at 5 years rose above that seen both at baseline and 18 months. Moreover, social support from nonfamily members of the social network predicted 5-year adaptive functioning in the schizophrenia (n = 54) group but not in the affective psychosis (n = 55) group. Support from family did not predict 5-year outcome in either group. Together, these findings replicate and extend earlier findings that social support predicts outcome in Ist-episode schizophrenia.