Clinical correlates of insight in schizophrenia

111 schizophrenic patients diagnosed in accordance with DSM-III were rated on Landmark's symptom checklist, on demographic variables, and on variables descriptive of the course of illness. Of the ill patients, 108 (97.3%) showed poor insight into their illness at some time in the past and 65 (58.6%) at the time of assessment. Those presently showing poor insight were significantly (Pearson rs, p<.01, 2-tailed) more frequently rated as currently displaying poor judgement also in other matters (r = .50), as showing social withdrawal (r = .42) and poor rapport (r = .33), and as being preoccupied with their delusions or hallucinations (r = .31) and as being unreliable informants (r = .41). They usually had lower education (r = .33), their income in the last taxation year was lower (r = .47), and their work functioning was less adequate (r = .30).