MAGNITUDE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH INSIGHT AMONG ADULT PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA AT SELECTED HOSPITALS OF TIGRAY, ETHIOPIA, 2025

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder affecting 24 million people globally, impacting around 1 in 300 individuals. Its management is challenging due to patients' lack of awareness of their condition. Treatment adherence, overall functioning, and well-being depend on insight, which is their understanding of their symptoms, emotions, and behaviors. However, there is a research gap in Ethiopia regarding insight among schizophrenia patients. Objective: This study aimed to assess insight and associated factors among adult patients with schizophrenia selected hospitals in Tigray, Ethiopia, in 2025. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October 1 to October 30 2025 at selected hospitals in Tigray. Systematic random sampling technique was used to get samples. Data collected using interviews and from patient medical records. Short version of the Scale to assess unawareness of mental disorder was used to measure insight. Data entry and analysis were done using SPSS v27. Descriptive statistics were used to present sociodemographic characteristics and clinical factors. Simple and multiple linear regression were used for analysis. B-coefficient with 95% CI was used to assess the association between insight and factors, and Statistical significance was declared at P-value <0.05. Results: A total of 299 respondents participated with a response rate of 98.03%. The mean score for insight was 20.78 ± 4.379 (95% CI: 20.28, 21.28). Family history of mental illness(B=-1.472; 95% CI: -2.812, -.131), participants with primary education (B=-1.750; 95% CI:-3.402, -.097), secondary education (B=-1.518; 95% CI: -2.870, -.166) treatment duration of less than 1 year(B=-2.180; 95% CI: -3.593, -.768), taking both typical and atypical antipsychotics in combination (B=-2.801; 95% CI: -5.178, -.423), taking antipsychotics with adjuvant (B=-4.098; 95% CI: -6.221, -1.975), previous admission of more than twice (B=2.235; 95% CI: .139, 4.331), current substance use (B=-1.313; 95% CI: -2.287, -.339) and poor social support (B=-2.266; 95% CI: -2.287, -.339) were significantly associated with insight. Conclusion and Recommendation: Insight was high among adult schizophrenia outpatients. Family history, Low educational status, Poor social support, substance use, treatment duration, the administration of polypharmacy, and prior hospital admission were associated with insight. So a critical follow-up and measurement is required to improve insight.