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.
Aim: 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.
Material and 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.
Conclusion: Schizophrenic patients with prominent depressive symptoms have significantly more frequently a positive family history of depression compared to patients with depressive disorder.