The mediating effect of family function and medication adherence between symptoms and mental disability among Chinese patients with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional study.

Schizophrenia is a debilitating, chronic, and high-refractory mental illness. Researchers should focus considerable attention to patients with mental disability. This study aims to explore the mediating effect of family function and medication adherence between symptoms and mental disability among Chinese patients with schizophrenia during the convalescent stage. Data from a cross-sectional sample of 499 Chinese patients with schizophrenia were used in this study. The participants were recruited and independently interviewed using the General Information Sheet, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHO-DAS II), Family APGAR Index (APGAR), and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) as outcome measures. A structural equation modeling strategy was used to analyze data. To analyze the correlation matrix, we applied the maximum-likelihood method to estimate the parameters. Bootstrapping was used to validate the mediation effects. Findings from the structural equation modeling demonstrated that family function and medication adherence played mediating roles between psychiatric symptoms and disability. This study presents a partial mediation model. Psychiatrists and nurses should assess the level of family function and medication adherence for schizophrenia, as well as provide interventions to improve family function and medication adherence, thereby eventually mediating disability.