Abstract
Anxiety disorders occur commonly in schizophrenia but are often overlooked by psychiatrists. Their presence may compound the challenges faced by these patients and may contribute to poor outcome. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of anxiety disorders among the participants with schizophrenia, and the association between this co-morbidity and disability. A total of 367 participants were recruited from the out-patient department of Federal neuropsychiatric hospital Enugu, Nigeria. Socio-demographic questionnaire, schedules for clinical assessment in neuropsychiatry, positive and negative syndrome scale and the 12-item version of the World Health Organization disability assessment schedule were administered. A total of 189 females (51.5%) and 178 (48.5%) males were studied. A lifetime prevalence of 12.3% was reported for anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder was more likely in females (ϰ(2)=4.93, p<0.03). Specific prevalence for anxiety disorder in schizophrenia was generalized anxiety disorder 6.3%, obsessive compulsive disorder 3.3%, and phobic anxiety disorder 2.7%. Anxiety disorder was associated with increased disability (t=3.50, p<0.001) and psychopathology (t=3.40, p<0.001) among the participants studied. Phobias were associated with prescription of low doses of antipsychotics (ϰ(2)=4.08, p<0.04). There was a low rate of identification of anxiety disorder in routine clinical practice (k=0.08, p<0.001). Co-morbid anxiety disorders are common in schizophrenia and they are associated with increased disability and psychopathology. The results emphasize the need to screen for anxiety disorders in patients with schizophrenia.
Highlights
Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal and pathological fears and anxieties[1]
Co-morbid anxiety disorders are common in schizophrenia and they are associated with increased disability and psychopathology
Patients were selected consecutively for the study if they were being managed at the out-patient department of Federal neuropsychiatric hospital Enugu, Nigeria if they had a diagnosis of schizophrenia made by a consultant psychiatrist using ICD-10 criteria and confirmed with present state examination 10 (PSE), and had no other important physical condition or mental disorder besides schizophrenia
Summary
Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal and pathological fears and anxieties[1]. Many studies show that Anxiety disorders co-occur commonly in schizophrenia[6]. A study carried out in Brazil reported that at least 51% of patients with schizophrenia met criteria for at least one form of anxiety disorder[6]. In Turkey, a study that recruited 82 out-patients with schizophrenia diagnosed fifty-five (67.1%) with at least one lifetime co-morbid anxiety disorder[8]. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of anxiety disorders among the participants with schizophrenia, and the association between this co-morbidity and disability. Anxiety disorder was associated with increased disability (t=3.50, p
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