title: Family history in patients with schizophrenia and depressive symptoms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depressive symptoms are common in schizophrenia and they can occur during any phase of the disorder. Some authors report an association between depression in schizophrenic patients and a positive family history of depression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate depressive symptoms in schizophrenic patients and to compare their family history with that in patients with depressive disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  The examined group consisted of 50 patients with schizophrenic disorder, both inpatients and outpatients treated at the University Psychiatry Clinic who had prominent depressive symptoms (total score>7 on 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale). The control group consisted of 50 patients with depressive disorder. Differential diagnosis was established on the basis of ICD-10 diagnostic criteria. Patients were evaluated with PANSS, 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and a questionnaire for demographic and clinical data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The clinical depression seen in patients with schizophrenia differed significantly from that in patients with depressive disorder. Depressive symptomatology was significantly more frequently reported in a family history of schizophrenic patients with depressive symptoms than in patients with depressive disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Schizophrenic patients with prominent depressive symptoms have significantly more frequently a positive family history of depression compared to patients with depressive disorder.
authors.affiliation: University Psychiatry Clinic, Skopje, R. Macedonia.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Babinkostova
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stefanovski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology