Four behavioural syndromes of schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND
A complementary approach to defining symptomatic subtypes of schizophrenia is to identify characteristic patterns of 'problem behaviours' associated with the capacity of patients to function in the community.


METHODS
In a large epidemiological survey, patients fulfilling Feighner criteria for schizophrenia were identified by key informants and assessed using the MRC Social Behaviour Schedule (SBS) and the Manchester Scale. An exploratory factor analysis was used to extract behavioural syndromes from the SBS data in order to compare the syndrome profiles in community, acute and long-stay subgroups and to examine their associations with symptoms and social functioning.


RESULTS
Four behavioural syndromes were identified: 'Thought disturbance', 'Social withdrawal', 'Depressed behaviour' and 'Anti-social behaviour', which distinguished between the patient subgroups and had significant differential relationships to symptoms and social functioning variables.


CONCLUSIONS
The evaluation of disability in schizophrenia and effectiveness of treatment interventions is incomplete without an assessment of problem behaviours.
Harvey
C R
CR
Department of Psychiatry, Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School, London.
Curson
D A
DA
Pantelis
C
C
Taylor
J
J
Barnes
T R
TR
D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012934:Social Isolation; D013577:Syndrome; D013850:Thinking