Social anhedonia and depressive symptoms in patients with acute schizophrenia

Background

Social anhedonia (SA) represents a defect in the ability to experience interpersonal pleasure. It is impaired in both schizophrenia and depression. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association of SA to depressive symptoms in a sample of acute schizophrenic patients.

Material and Methods

Seventy-one schizophrenic patients (45 men, 26 women) with a mean age of 30.2 (± 8.5) years, consecutively admitted at Eginition Hospital, Athens, were included in the study. Patients were assessed on admission using the Revised Social Anhedonia Scale (rSAS) and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS). For the statistical evaluation Spearman's product moment correlations were carried out.

Results

SA ratings did correlate with total CDSS score (r = 0.29, p = 0.02). Regarding depressive symptoms, there were significant correlations between rSAS score and the CDSS item scores of self-depreciation (r = 0.36, p = 0.004), pathological guilt (r = 0.40, p = 0.001), early wakening (r = 2.70, p = 0.03), suicidal thoughts (r = 0.31, p = 0.01), observed depression (r = 0.32, p = 0.01).

Discussion

There is an association between SA and several depressive symptoms in patients with acute schizophrenia.