| dc.description.abstract | The clinical expression of schizophrenia is diverse, with a proportion having a favorable outcome. Self-efficacy has emerged as a potential predictor of recovery, commonly referred to as the expectation that one can effectively cope with and master situations through one's own personal efforts. Still, little is known about its influence on recovery rates in first-episode schizophrenia (FES). The objective of the present study is to identify the proportion of individuals with FES reaching full recovery after ten years and to investigate if there are significant differences in self-efficacy development among recovered and non-recovered participants. Methods: In the Oslo Schizophrenia Recovery Study (OSR) spanning ten years, 28 FES patients are interviewed and assessed yearly with comprehensive and strict criteria of full recovery. Self-efficacy is measured according to the General Perceived Self-Efficacy scale (GSE). The present study includes data from all twelve follow-ups over ten years. Both descriptive statistics and multilevel modelling were used to investigate the research questions. Results: At ten-year follow-up, 59,0% of the patients fulfilled the criteria for full recovery, with a total of 63,5% being fully/partly recovered. Choosing the overall best linear mixed model, there was a significantly larger increase in self-efficacy among the recovered than the non-recovered group. However, adding a time x group interaction parameter did not significantly improve the model fit, indicating no differences in trajectory growth over ten years. Conclusions: The findings of the present study contribute to the knowledge on outcomes of FES. First, the findings confirm the heterogeneity in course and outcome, with a large proportion of FES patients reaching full recovery after ten years. Second, the results highlight self-efficacy as a factor associated with increased recovery in FES, adding to the small literature on improvement among these patients. Third, even though self-efficacy may be harder to achieve in the context of a serious mental illness, it nonetheless appears to be a viable treatment goal with implications regarding a brighter and more positive outlook for the majority of FES patients. | eng |