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Pelizza L, Quattrone E, Leuci E, Paulillo G, Azzali S, Pupo S, Pellegrini P. Anxious-depressive symptoms after a first episode of schizophrenia: Response to treatment and psychopathological considerations from the 2-year "Parma Early Psychosis" program. Psychiatry Res 2022; 317:114887. [PMID: 36219900 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Depression is common in schizophrenia and is correlated with suicide risk and poor long-term outcomes. However, the presence of depressive symptoms is often underestimated in both research and treatment, particularly at the illness onset. The goals of this study were: (a) to longitudinally observe anxious-depressive symptom levels in patients with First Episode Schizophrenia (FES) during a 24 months of follow-up period, and (b) to examine their associations with other psychopathology and the intervention patients received in an "Early Intervention in Psychosis" (EIP) program during the follow-up period. The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and the Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were completed by 159 FES patients both at baseline and across the follow-up. Data were analyzed by linear regression analysis and Spearman's coefficients. Anxious-depressive symptoms had significant longitudinal associations with GAF deterioration and PANSS "Positive Symptoms", "Negative Symptoms" and "Disorganization" subscores. During the follow-up period, FES participants significantly improved the level of anxious-depressive symptoms. This was significantly associated with the number of case management and individual psychotherapy meetings the patient engaged in, as well as with lower antipsychotic doses prescribed during the follow-up period. In conclusion, anxious-depressive symptoms are prominent in FES and at the initial entry into EIP programs. Anxious-depressive symptom severity tends to diminish overtime, especially with the provision of specialized EIP treatments. However, since we did not have a control population studied in parallel, we cannot say whether these results are specific to the protocols of EIP programs or just to the intensity of engagement in care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Pelizza
- Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Azienda USL di Parma, Largo Palli n. 1/A, Parma 43100, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Via Zamboni n. 33, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Emanuela Quattrone
- Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Azienda USL di Parma, Largo Palli n. 1/A, Parma 43100, Italy
| | - Emanuela Leuci
- Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Azienda USL di Parma, Largo Palli n. 1/A, Parma 43100, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Paulillo
- Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Azienda USL di Parma, Largo Palli n. 1/A, Parma 43100, Italy
| | - Silvia Azzali
- Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Via Amendola n.2, Reggio, Emilia 43100, Italy
| | - Simona Pupo
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Via Gramsci n.14, Parma, Italy
| | - Pietro Pellegrini
- Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Azienda USL di Parma, Largo Palli n. 1/A, Parma 43100, Italy
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