Hope and its dimensions in relation to clinical recovery: A cross-sectional study among people with psychotic disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Hope is a key component of personal recovery. There is limited evidence regarding the association of hope with the level of functioning in individuals with psychosis. It is also not clear which dimensions of hope are most strongly related to clinical recovery. Thus, this study aims to explore the relationships of hope and its dimensions with various indicators of clinical recovery such as overall psychopathology, depression and global functioning among people with psychotic disorders.

METHOD: The Integrative Hope Scale (IHS; Schrank, Woppmann, Sibitz, & Lauber, 2011) was administered to 110 people with psychotic disorders. Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the associations of the IHS total score and its four subscales (i.e., Trust and Confidence, Lack of Perspective, Positive Future Orientation, and Social Relations and Personal Value) with overall psychiatric symptoms, depression, and general functioning.

RESULTS: A total level of Hope was not associated with overall psychopathology or global functioning; however, it showed a significant negative relationship with severity of depression. A stronger feeling of a Lack of Perspective turned out to be associated with more severe depression and a greater intensity of psychopathological symptoms. The relationships of the remaining dimensions of Hope with the indicators of clinical recovery were found to be nonsignificant.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The findings suggest that combining Hope-enhancement strategies with interventions targeting symptoms may increase the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs for people with psychosis. They also point to the sense of a Lack of Perspective as the aspect of Hope most strongly related to clinical recovery. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).