Phenomenological assessment of the features of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to assess the severity of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this category of patients.Material and methods. 252 patients with negative symptoms of schizophrenia (main group) and 79 patients with positive symptoms of schizophrenia (comparison group) were examined. A total of 331 patients with schizophrenia took part in the study. A comprehensive approach was used in the study, consisting of a combination of clinical-psychopathological, psychometric (SANS scale) and statistical research methods.Research results. Clinical-psychopathological characteristics of patients with negative symptoms in schizophrenia have been established, which consisted of the predominance of the residual form of schizophrenia; continuously progradient and episodic with an increasing defect of flow types; the onset of negative symptoms in the initial period. Specific features of the manifestation of negative symptoms in patients with negative symptoms in schizophrenia have been determined, which consisted of the severity of attention disorders, anhedonia, abulia, and alogia. It has been detected that the phenomenology of negative symptoms in schizophrenia has a complex structure and is described by the presence of components of affective flattening (reduced expressiveness of speech, avoidance of eye contact), alogia (delayed responses, interrupted thoughts), abulia and apathy (reduced productivity and energy potential), anhedonia and antisociality (reduced activity in free time, sexual interests, the ability to feel intimacy and closeness) and the sphere of attention (reduced attentiveness in contact with others and during testing). Conclusions. As a result of the study, the peculiarities of the manifestation of negative symptoms in patients with negative symptoms of schizophrenia have been determined, which can act as diagnostic criteria and predictors of the formation of negative symptoms during the differential diagnosis of patients with schizophrenia and can be taken into account when creating treatment and psycho-corrective programs aimed at reducing negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.