A Study of Depressive Symtoms in Chronic Schizophrenia

Lim, Chai Gee; Kang, Kyung Mi; Yoon, Doh Joon

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
For the understanding and effective treatment of depressive symptoms in chronic schizophrenia, this study investigated the frequency of depressive symptoms and examined associations between depressive symptoms and positive symptoms, negative symptoms, general psychopathology in chronic schizophrenia. METHOD: The authors assessed the frequency of depressed schizophrenia with 30 or higher scores of HRSD in 135 DSM-IV chronic schizophrenia. We measured PANSS, BPRS in depressed(n=37) and non-depressed schizophrenia(n=37) who were matched in sex, age and dose of antipsychotics to compare positive, negative symptoms and other psychopathology. Also, we evaluated correlation between depressive symptoms and positive symptoms, negative symptoms, other psychopathology in depressed schizophrenic patients.
RESULTS
1) The depressive symptoms were present in 27.4% of chronic schizophrenia. 2) The positive scale of PANSS were significantly higher in depressed than in non-depressed schizophrenia(p<.01), and the negative scale of PANSS were higher in depressed schizophrenia but there were no statisical significance. Thinking disturbance and depressive-anxiety factors of BPRS were significantly higher in depressed than in non-depressed schizophrenia(p<.01, p<.01). 3) The positive and negative scale of PANSS correlated with HRSD in depressed schizophrenia(p<.01, p<.05), and thinking disturbance and depressive-anxiety factors correlated with HRSD in depressed schizophrenia(p<.01, p<.01).
CONCLUSION
The depressive symptoms are relatively commom and important part of schizophrenic symptomatology, and they are more related to positive symptoms than negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Thus this study suggest that appropriate assessment and therapeutic intervention for depressive symptoms is especially necessary to the schizophrenic patients with severe positive symptoms.