Comorbid Anxiety in Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder

Abstract

There is some evidence that antipsychotic medication (Quetiapine) is somewhat ef‐ ficient in reducing anxiety in schizophrenic patients. This study compared the efficacy of Olanzapine and Quetiapine versus Risperi‐ done, Aripiprazole, and Haloperidolum in reducing the anxiety symptoms in pa‐ tients diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder hospitalized in the Psychiatry Department of Arad between 2013–2014. Considering the treatment, 63 subjects were divided in two groups: T1 (treated with Olanzapine and Quetiapine) and T2 (treated with Haloperidolum, Risperidone, and Aripiprazol). Anxiety is frequent in the course of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder with significant differences among the two groups. After treatment, the level of anxiety reduced with significant improvement of total score of PANSS; the effect is higher in group T2 compared to T1. Before treatment, anxiety is positively correlated with scores of PANSSN (r=.285; p=0.010), PANSST (r=.260; p=0.040), and HAM-D (r=.455; p<0.0001).YMRS is negatively correlated with negative items of PANSSN scale (r=-. 321; p=0.010). IQ (intelligence quotient) was decreased posttreatment for both treat‐ ments, but T1 had had a higher effect on it. Some antipsychotics have been reported to be successful in reducing the anxiety level in psychotic patients: in group T2 the treatment has a higher effect on anxiety and lower size effect on intelligence.