Gender-specific associations of depression with positive and negative symptoms in acute schizophrenia

This clinical study analyzed gender-specific relationships of depression with other psychopathological and clinical variables in hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. During clinical routine treatment 119 inpatients with acute schizophrenia (DSM-IV) were investigated with the Calgary Depression Rating Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI), and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Depression scores of 77 male and 42 female patients (mean age 31.6 ± 10.3 years) were related to background variables and to positive and negative symptom scores. Mean CDSS (5.8 ± 5.6) and PANSS scores (total 76.9 ± 22.1, positive symptoms 17.6 ± 7.6, negative symptoms 20.5 ± 7.8) were not significantly different between males and females. In females, depression was independently associated with higher negative symptom scores (P < 0.01) and younger age (P < 0.05) whereas in males positive symptoms (P < 0.05) and short hospitalization (P < 0.05) were the main factors associated with depression. The study revealed gender-specific differences in the relationship of depression with negative and positive symptoms.