Depression during an acute episode of schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder and its impact on treatment response.
The aim of the present study was to examine the relevance of depressive symptoms during an acute schizophrenic episode for the prediction of treatment response. Two hundred inpatients who fulfilled DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorders were assessed at hospital admission and after 6 weeks of inpatient treatment using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). Depressive symptoms showed positive correlations with both positive and negative symptoms at admission and after 6 weeks, and decreased during 6 weeks of treatment. Pronounced depressive symptoms (HAM-D score> or =16) were found in 28% of the sample at admission and in 9% after 6 weeks of treatment. Depressive symptoms at admission predicted a greater improvement of positive and negative symptoms over 6 weeks of treatment, but also more, rather than fewer remaining symptoms after 6 weeks. Both results, however, lost statistical significance when analyses were controlled for the influence of positive and negative symptoms at admission. Therefore, the hypothesis that depressive symptoms are predictive of a favorable treatment response was not supported by the present study.
Jäger
Markus
M
Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany. Markus.Jaeger@bkh-guenzburg.de <Markus.Jaeger@bkh-guenzburg.de>
Riedel
Michael
M
Schmauss
Max
M
Pfeiffer
Herbert
H
Laux
Gerd
G
Naber
Dieter
D
Gaebel
Wolfgang
W
Huff
Wolfgang
W
Schmidt
Lutz G
LG
Heuser
Isabella
I
Buchkremer
Gerhard
G
Kühn
Kai-Uwe
KU
Rüther
Eckart
E
Hoff
Paul
P
Gastpar
Markus
M
Bottlender
Ronald
R
Strauss
Anton
A
Möller
Hans-Jürgen
HJ
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011336:Probability; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs