Depressive and anxiety symptoms among schizophrenia patients

Background: Depressive and anxiety symptoms commonly manifested throughout the progression of schizophrenia. However, the prevalence of these symptoms, alongside their co-occurrence, remains uncertain, and clinical correlates remain elusive.

Objectives: This study seeks to investigate the prevalence of such symptoms and their demographic and clinical associations among patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Methods: The study included 19,623 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia based on the ICD-10 criteria. Participants were recruited from community-dwelling patients registered in the local health system in Hangzhou of China between August 1 and October 30, 2022.

Results: The prevalence rates of depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as their co-occurrence, were determined to be 19 % (95%CI = 18.5-19.6 %), 37.4 % (95%CI = 36.8-38.0 %), and 17.7 % (95%CI = 17.2-18.2 %), respectively. Patients prescribed quetiapine, olanzapine, and risperidone exhibited significantly lower prevalence rates of these symptoms (P < 0.01). Spearman's correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms (r = 0.60, P = 0.006). Additionally, age, social relationships, and sleep status were significantly associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, and their co-occurrence, in both univariate and multivariate analyses.

Conclusion: Given the pervasive nature and detrimental consequences of these symptoms among individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, comprehensive evaluation and implementation of efficacious interventions are highly recommended.