A Study of Depression in Positive and Negative Schizaphrenics

Abstract

This study was to find out whether there were differences in the levels of depressions between positive and negative schizophrenics. This research was derived from the fact that negative schizophrenics show higher levels of depression than positive schizophrenics. This study also examined the levels of psychomotor dysfunction in positive and negative schizophrenics. For this study, there were 453 subjects. They consisted of 119 positive schizophrenics, 122 negative schizophrenics and 212 normal people. They were asked to complete Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale(SDS) and to perform one subtest, Digit Symbol of KWIS(Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale). Subjects' levels of depression were measured by the SDS. the level of psychomotor dysfunction was measured by Digit Symbol subtest of Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale. ANOV A and Duncan's multiple comparison analysis were used to examine whether there were differences of depression and psychomotor dysfunction among the normal people, positive and negative schizophrenics. The results were as follows: It was found that the depression level was higher in the negative schizophrenic patients than positive schizophrenic patients. Levels of depression were significantly higher in negative schizophrenics than positive schizophrenics. Psychomotor retardation symptom was the most effective variable that discriminates between the normals and the schizophrenics. And it would be concluded that the psychomotor dysfunction was more severe in negative schizophrenics than positive schizophrenics.