Predicting Predischarge Anhedonia Among Inpatients With Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorders: A Large-scale Analysis.

Abstract

This study sought to evaluate predischarge anhedonia level and its predictors in 125 inpatients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders. Consecutively admitted inpatients were assessed before discharge from the hospital using the Specific Loss of Interest and Pleasure Scale (SLIPS) and a battery of measures for clinical and psychosocial variables. When symptoms, distress, and social anhedonia scores were controlled, the SLIPS score inversely correlated with self-constructs, social support, quality of life, recovery, and unmet needs. Using two cutoff points of the data set of SLIPS, we identified three groups: 19 (15.2%) patients reported "no loss of pleasure"; 46 (36.8%), "some loss of pleasure"; and 60 (48.0%), "marked diminishment of pleasure." The SLIPS score is predicted by sensitivity, unmet needs, deficient interpersonal pleasure, poor quality of life, and friend support. The study underlines the importance of assessing anhedonia and related psychosocial factors in patients with serious mental illness.