Kushnir Y. The post-schizophrenic depression: clinical aspects, diagnostic and therapy

The dissertation is devoted to the relevant objective of exploration of post-schizophrenic depressions psychopathology under its various clinical types, the first and repeated episodes of the disease as well as treatment improvement. The randomized research of 134 patients with post-schizophrenic depression proved that it is necessary and important to carry out differential diagnostic analysis of its clinical features depending on quantity of the post-psychotic depression episodes. All patients were divided into two groups: the one with the first episode and the other with repeated episodes of post-schizophrenic depression. The employed research methods included clinical-psychopathological, psychometric (with the use of the PANSS, CDS and PSP scales) and clinical-catamnestic ones. The research touched upon clinical features and dynamics of post-schizophrenic depressionas a heterogeneous group of syndromes with polymorphic clinical and psychopathological structure, whichrelate to apathic-adynamic, melancholic-adynamic, astheno-phobic, dysphoric, astheno-hypochondriac types of post-schizophrenic depression, which proved to have essential qualitative clinical differences under its first or repeated episodes. The study of socio-demographic characteristics showed big difference in age, marital status and work capacity in comparison groups. The results of psychometric research proved qualitative pathogenetic dynamics in groups with the first or repeated episodes of post-schizophrenic depression. The dynamics of mental disturbances observed during the psychometric assessment under the catamnestic survey (a year after the therapy) revealed significant remote effect of complex therapy compared to patients from the subgroups having received isolated pharmacotherapy.