Four symptom dimensions in outpatients with schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the dimensional structure of the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) to identify the psychopathological profiles of outpatients with schizophrenia.


METHODS
Two hundred and thirty-one persons with schizophrenia (DSM-IV criteria) were randomly selected from a register that included all patients under treatment in 5 mental health care centers in Spain. Patients were evaluated with a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, the PANSS, the Disability Assessment Scale short version, and the Global Assessment Functioning Scale. A principal component analysis with oblimin rotation was used to examine the factor structure of the PANSS. Different statistical analyses were done to compare the resulting factors with clinical, disability, and social functioning variables.


RESULTS
Mean age of patients included was 39.6 years and approximately 65% were male. Four principal components, each of them with eigenvalues greater than 1.5, accounted for 56.22% of the variance. After oblimin rotation, these factors were identified as the Negative (32.48%), Excitement (11.29%), Affective (7.45%), and Positive (5.01%) components. Significant positive correlation between age and the negative dimension was found. Also, we observed significant negative correlations between global assessment functioning and negative and positive dimensions. Total disability was significantly positively related to all dimensions.


CONCLUSIONS
Positive and negative dimensions are common in all principal component analysis results, but we also found affective and excitement dimensions. The present finding suggests that further investigation of symptom dimensions may help to improve symptom-specific treatments; future research should focus on the design of new treatment programs considering these results.
Villalta-Gil
Victòria
V
Research and Development Unit, Sant Joan de Déu, Serveis de Salut Mental, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, St Boi de Llobregat, Spain.
Vilaplana
Miriam
M
Ochoa
Susana
S
Dolz
Montserrat
M
Usall
Judith
J
Haro
Josep Maria
JM
Almenara
José
J
González
Juan Luis
JL
Lagares
Carolina
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012042:Registries; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires