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Occupational functioning in early non-affective psychosis: the role of attributional biases, symptoms and executive functioning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 March 2013

M. Fornells-Ambrojo ,
T. Craig  and
P. Garety
M. Fornells-Ambrojo*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
T. Craig
Affiliation:
Health Services Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
P. Garety
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr M. Fornells-Ambrojo, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 7HB, UK. (Email: miriam.fornells-ambrojo@ucl.ac.uk)
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Abstract

Aims.

Occupational functioning is severely impaired in people with psychosis. Social cognition has recently been found to be a stronger predictor of functioning than neurocognition. This study is the first to investigate if externalizing attributional biases that are typically associated with psychosis play a role in the vocational pathways of people with early psychosis.

Methods.

A cross-sectional design was used. Fifty participants with early psychosis were recruited from a cohort of 144 participants of the Lambeth Early Onset randomized control trial at 18-month follow-up. Information on occupational functioning was obtained using case notes and interview. Severity of symptoms was assessed and participants completed measures on attributional style and executive functioning.

Results.

Although executive functioning and positive symptoms were associated with poor occupational functioning, an externalizing attributional style for failures and reduced engagement in occupational activities during the previous 18 months emerged as the only predictors of poor occupational functioning at 18-month follow-up.

Conclusions.

An externalizing attributional bias is associated with poor occupational functioning. Further research is needed to investigate the direction of this relationship and whether attributional biases mediate the impact of symptoms and cognitive impairment on functioning.

Keywords

Attributionsearly psychosisoccupational outcomerecovery

Information

Type
Original Articles
Information
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences , Volume 23 , Issue 1 , March 2014 , pp. 71 - 84
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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