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Introduction Depressive symptoms are a common occurrence in people suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs), representing a separate domain that interacts in peculiar ways with positive and negative symptoms. Nonetheless, available evidence on the relationship between depression and key clinical dimensions of SSDs is limited. Objectives To increase the knowledge regarding depression in SSDs, we performed a cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association of depressive symptoms with overall, general psychopathology, positive, and negative symptoms in individuals with SSDs. Methods Adult people with SSDs were recruited from two psychiatric inpatient units in the northern area of the Metropolitan City of Milan from May 2020 to March 2023. Study participants with a Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia score >6 were rated as depressed. Symptom severity was assessed by using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Variables associated with depression at the univariate level were included into two multiple logistic regression models to analyse the association between depression and PANSS overall score as well as General Psychopathology, Positive, and Negative sub-scores. Results A total of 231 subjects with SSDs were included. Among them, approximately one third (N=78; 33.8%) reported depressive symptoms. Multiple logistic regression models suggested that depression in individiuals with SSDs was associated with higher overall (p

Objective: Evidence on the relationship between depression and clinical dimensions of schizophrenia remains limited. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between depression and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) dimensions in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Methods: Trained assessors administered the PANSS to measure symptoms of schizophrenia and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia to measure depression. The association of depression with overall PANSS score and related dimensions was investigated in multiple logistic regression analyses. Results: We included 231 inpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (mean age: 42.4 (SD: 12.9) years; men: 58.9%; mean overall PANSS score: 82.5 (SD: 20.1); drug-free or naïve: 39.3%), including 78 (33.8%) with clinically significant depressive symptoms. Depression was associated with higher overall (regression coefficient, SE: 0.029, 0.008; p < 0.001) and general psychopathology (regression coefficient, SE: 0.118, 0.023; p < 0.001) PANSS scores. We found an inverse relationship between depression and positive symptoms (regression coefficient, SE: -0.088, 0.028; p = 0.002). No association between depression and negative symptoms was found. Conclusion: Despite some limitations, our study shows that people affected by schizophrenia spectrum disorders with depression are likely to show more overall and general psychopathology symptoms but lower positive symptoms. Additional studies are needed to explore the generalizability of our findings.

Introduction: Depressive symptoms are a common occurrence in people suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs), representing a separate domain that interacts in peculiar ways with positive and negative symptoms. Nonetheless, available evidence on the relationship between depression and key clinical dimensions of SSDs is limited. Objectives: To increase the knowledge regarding depression in SSDs, we performed a cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association of depressive symptoms with overall, general psychopathology, positive, and negative symptoms in individuals with SSDs. Methods: Adult people with SSDs were recruited from two psychiatric inpatient units in the northern area of the Metropolitan City of Milan from May 2020 to March 2023. Study participants with a Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia score >6 were rated as depressed. Symptom severity was assessed by using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Variables associated with depression at the univariate level were included into two multiple logistic regression models to analyse the association between depression and PANSS overall score as well as General Psychopathology, Positive, and Negative sub-scores. Results: A total of 231 subjects with SSDs were included. Among them, approximately one third (N=78; 33.8%) reported depressive symptoms. Multiple logistic regression models suggested that depression in individiuals with SSDs was associated with higher overall (p<0.001) and General Psychopathology (p<0.001) PANSS scores. Conversely, an inverse relationship between depression and positive symptoms was found (p=0.002). Negative symptoms were not associated with depression (p=0.210). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that people affected by comorbid SSDs and depression have more severe overall and General Psychopathology symptoms according to PANSS scores, as well as lower levels of positive symptoms. Further investigations are needed to evaluate the generalisability of these findings and to improve the clinical management of people with SSDs and depression. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evidence on the relationship between depression and clinical dimensions of schizophrenia remains limited. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between depression and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) dimensions in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders., Methods: Trained assessors administered the PANSS to measure symptoms of schizophrenia and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia to measure depression. The association of depression with overall PANSS score and related dimensions was investigated in multiple logistic regression analyses., Results: We included 231 inpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (mean age: 42.4 (SD: 12.9) years; men: 58.9%; mean overall PANSS score: 82.5 (SD: 20.1); drug-free or naïve: 39.3%), including 78 (33.8%) with clinically significant depressive symptoms. Depression was associated with higher overall (regression coefficient, SE: 0.029, 0.008; p < 0.001) and general psychopathology (regression coefficient, SE: 0.118, 0.023; p < 0.001) PANSS scores. We found an inverse relationship between depression and positive symptoms (regression coefficient, SE: -0.088, 0.028; p = 0.002). No association between depression and negative symptoms was found., Conclusion: Despite some limitations, our study shows that people affected by schizophrenia spectrum disorders with depression are likely to show more overall and general psychopathology symptoms but lower positive symptoms. Additional studies are needed to explore the generalizability of our findings., Competing Interests: FB has received consultant fees from Edra SpA and IQVIA Solutions Italy, and honoraria for editorial activities from Elsevier, IMR Press, and Med Reviews Ltd. The other authors report no conflicts of interest.