Abstract

Cognitive impairment is a central feature of psychotic disorders from the premorbid stages and worsens throughout the development of the disorder, with cognitive deficits being more severe in schizophrenia. Using data from 227 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, the present study examines the implications of a group of clinical variables on cognitive impairment. The aim was to analyze a regression model differentiated by ethnicity using clinical components associated with cognitive functioning as predictors of deficit. The regression model shows that positive symptoms are a strong predictor of cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia for the overall sample. Social cognition was a significant predictor of cognitive impairment for the ethnic group. The results confirm the relevance of a broader socio-cognitive model to understand the relationship between differential functioning and cognitive deficits observed among patients with different ethnic backgrounds.