Table 3.

Recovery definitions used by different studies

Authors	Criteria for recovery	Recovery
McGlashan et al. [90]	No symptoms, being employed, and maintaining a meaningful relationship with family members as the normal state.	6%
Torgalsboen et al. [76]	Reliable diagnosis of schizophrenia, Not fulfilling criteria at present; had been out of hospital for at least 5 years; present psychosocial functioning was within a “normal range” (e.g., ≥65 on the GAS) and no neuroleptic drug use or only at a low dosage (<1/2 DDD).	NR
Liberman et al. [74]	≥4 points on the BPRS for 2 consecutive years. Ability to successfully hold at least a part-time job or successfully attend school at least part-time for 2 consecutive years. During the age of retirement, participating actively in recreational, family, or volunteer activities. Living independently without day-to-day supervision for money management, shopping, food preparation, laundry, personal hygiene, or need for structured recreational or vocational activities. Ability to initiate own activities and schedule one’s time without reminders from family or other caregivers. While most individuals will be living on their own or with a roommate, partner, or friend, some individuals could meet this criterion if they are living at home with family if that is considered culturally and age appropriate. The individual may be receiving disability benefits as long as he/she is participating constructively in instrumental activities for half or more of the total duration. In the context of the individual’s cultural background and given the constraints of geographical distance and socio-economic factors, the individual has cordial relations with his/her family. This may be limited to phone calls, correspondence, or occasional visits (e.g., on holidays and family events). At least once per week, having a meeting, social event, meal, recreational activity, phone conversation, or other joint interaction with a peer outside of the family.	NR
Modestin et al. [97]	Full employment, reassumed social roles, and no psychosis symptoms on examination except for some eccentricity or symptom residue for 5 years	12–24%
Robinson et al. [77]	For 2 consecutive years: no worse than mild in some SADS-C and in some SANS items, appropriate role functioning ability to perform day-to-day living tasks without supervision, social interactions.	16.4%
Harrow et al. [80]	Absence of major symptoms throughout the follow-up year (absence of psychosis activity and absence of negative symptoms), adequate psychosocial functioning, including instrumental (or paid) work for at least half of the time during the follow-up year, and absence of a very poor social activity level, no psychiatric re-hospitalization during the follow-up year.	41%
Lauronen et al. [75]	For full recovery, 1 or 2 points on the CGI, ≥71 points on the SOFAS, ≤36 total score on the PANSS, ≤2 points in each item of the positive or negative scale of the PANSS, no psychiatric hospitalizations during the last 2 years of follow-up, no or low-dose antipsychotic medication at the study moment, ability to work. For partial recovery, 1 or 2 points on the CGI, ≤36 total score on the PANSS, ≥61 points on the SOFAS	9.9%
Jaaskelainen et al. [98]	Having improvements in both the clinical and social domains, with improvements in at least one of the domains persisting for at least 2 years, and current symptoms no worse than mild.	13.50%
Full in Kim et al. [96]	Five items maintained for ≥1 year: all psychosis (P1, P2, P3, G5, G9) and negative (N1, N4, N6) items of the PANSS ≤2 (minimal); SOFAS score ≥71; appropriate social functions maintained (active meeting with an acquaintance more than twice a month, but meeting by accident or seeing or greeting at a church are excluded); appropriate occupational functions maintained, such as employment for at least half of the standard period (regardless of type of employment), job-seeking activities, students going to school/library on a regular basis, or homemakers taking appropriate responsibility for household chores.	NR
Partial in Kim et al. [96]	Five items maintained for ≥1 year: all psychosis (P1, P2, P3, G5, G9) and negative (N1, N4, N6) items of PANSS ≤3 (mild); SOFAS score ≥61; appropriate social functions maintained (active meeting with an acquaintance more than once a month or conversation over the phone more than twice a month (texting or SMS are excluded); and appropriate occupational functions maintained, such as employment for at least one third of the standard period, job-seeking activities, students going to school/library on a regular basis, or homemakers taking appropriate responsibility for household chores.	NR

NR: Not reported, GAS: Global Assessment Scale, DDD: Defined Daily Doses, BPRS: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; CGI: Clinical Global Impression, SOFAS: Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale, PANSS: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, SADS-C: the Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Change Version, SANS: the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptom