Abstract
Background: We aimed to investigate whether personal recovery levels differ between those in early vs prolonged phases of psychosis and if there are different associations with objective outcomes of recovery (i.e., symptom severity and level of functioning). Method: Participants included 131 patients with early psychosis and 83 patients with prolonged psychosis. The Recovery Assessment Scale was used to assess personal recovery in both samples. The MIRECC-GAF and the CGI-S were used as measures of objective recovery in the early psychosis group. The PANSS and QoL scales were used as measures of objective recovery in the prolonged psychosis group. Results: People with early psychosis reported better personal recovery scores in all domains, except willingness to ask for help, compared to individuals with prolonged psychosis. Markers of objective recovery were not correlated with personal recovery in the early psychosis sample but were significantly correlated in the prolonged sample. Depressive symptoms were negatively correlated with personal recovery in the prolonged psychosis group. Conclusions: The relationship between personal and objective recovery may change over time and be dependent on the phase of an individual’s illness. In addition, as individuals experience dysfunction over time, they may be more likely to become demoralized and experience lesser degrees of personal recovery..
