A new study by a research team at Université de Montréal highlights a critical lack of knowledge about the cognitive profiles of people living with both schizophrenia and a personality disorder.
A comprehensive review of scientific literature from the past 24 years, published in Schizophrenia Research: Cognition, reveals that despite the high prevalence of this dual diagnosis (affecting approximately 40 per cent of people diagnosed with schizophrenia) and its association with unfavourable outcomes, the available data are surprisingly limited and fragmented.
“Our analysis shows a significant blind spot in current knowledge,” said Anouck Chalut, lead author of the study and a Psy.D. in neuropsychology from UdeM. “Little is known about cognition in people living with a personality disorder in addition to schizophrenia.”
Led by UdeM psychology professor Tania Lecomte—director of L'ESPOIR, a research laboratory in the Department of Psychology dedicated to improving treatments and services for people with severe mental disorders—the researchers combed through hundreds of scientific articles but found only 10 that met their criteria for scientific rigour.
“We found that the existing research is limited, fragmentary and sometimes contradictory, leaving clinicians with few clear guidelines,” noted Chalut. This gap is consequential because cognition is the strongest predictor of recovery for individuals living with schizophrenia, she said.
