Basic self-disorders may play a role in the development of depression in schizophrenia: a seven-year follow-up study

• Published in: Frontiers in psychiatry Vol. 15; p. 1521366
• Main Authors: Haug, Elisabeth, Øie, Merete Glenne, Svendsen, Ingrid Hartveit, Møller, Paul, Nelson, Barnaby, Melle, Ingrid
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 08.01.2025
• Subjects: depression; follow-up; Psychiatry; psychosis; schizophrenia; self-disorders; follow-up; depression; schizophrenia; self-disorders; psychosis
• ISSN: 1664-0640; 1664-0640
• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1521366

Depression is the most common co-morbid psychiatric disorder in patients with schizophrenia and has a negative effect on functional outcomes and quality of life. There are several possible pathways leading to depressive symptoms in schizophrenia. Self-disorders are disturbances in the deepest, pre-reflective level of the self and are suggested to be core features of schizophrenia. The relationship between self-disorders, and depressive symptoms has only been studied to a limited extent, and there are no longitudinal studies. This study aimed to explore the relationship between self-disorders at baseline and the development of depression over the follow-up period. Self-disorders were examined with the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience (EASE) instrument in 31 patients with schizophrenia during their first treatment. Seven years later we measured the total number of depressive episodes since the start of treatment. We found a clear association between self-disorders at baseline and the total number of depressive episodes over the follow-up period. Self-disorders may play a role in the development of depression in schizophrenia. This may have implications for therapeutic approaches targeting a condition that is characterized by considerable suffering and an elevated risk of suicide.