Body Image Distortion among Inpatients with Schizophrenia.
- Author:
Sung Jin KIM
1
;
Seok Woo MOON
;
Daeho KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, Geyo Hospital, Uiwang, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Body image;
Schizophrenia;
Body Mass Index;
Body perception;
Weight
- MeSH:
Body Image;
Body Mass Index;
Body Size;
Depression;
Feeding and Eating Disorders;
Humans;
Inpatients;
Obesity;
Psychopathology;
Schizophrenia;
Weight Gain;
Weight Reduction Programs
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry
2012;19(4):211-218
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: Body image distortion is found in eating disorder and obesity and there are some evidence that schizophrenia is associated with body image distortion. This study sought to find whether schizophrenic patients report more body image distortion than healthy individuals and whether it is related with symptomatology. METHODS: A total of 88 inpatients with schizophrenia and 88 healthy controls were recruited. Weight, height, and body image accuracy were assessed in all participants, and assessment of mood, psychotic symptom severity and self-esteem, and personal and social performance scale were conducted. RESULTS: The patients with schizophrenia had higher Body Mass Index (p < 0. 001) and underestimated their body size more than controls (26.14% vs. 5.13%, p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that lower depressive symptoms and higher scores of general psychopathology predicted underestimation of body size. CONCLUSION: Weight gain and metabolic syndrome are common adverse events of pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia. Thus, underestimation of body size among patients with schizophrenia may interfere with effort to lose weight or seek weight reduction programs. Clinicians need to consider possible unterestimation of underestimation of body size in patients whose general symptomatology is severe.
