Is depressed mood clinically relevant at the onset of schizophrenia? A longitudinal study.

Aim: Depressed mood (DM) in schizophrenia is often associated with suicide risk and poor outcomes. However, it is generally overlooked in clinical practice, especially in First Episode Schizophrenia (FES). The aims of this investigation were: (1) to calculate baseline prevalence of FES patients with relevant DM, (2) to longitudinally monitor DM severity levels over a 12-month follow-up, and (3) to investigate their associations with clinical data and the specific treatment components of an “Early Intervention in Psychosis” (EIP) program. Material and Methods: The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was completed by all FES participant. Individuals with a baseline PANSS “Depression” item subscore of ≥ 5 were classified as having relevant depressed mood (FES/DM+). Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests were used for inter-group comparisons. A linear regression analysis was also performed. Results: Fifty-three (33.3%) participants were in the FES/DM+ subgroup. Relevant DM at baseline was associated with female gender and a higher PANSS “Positive Symptoms” score. Across the follow-up, FES individuals improved their DM severity levels. This was significantly related to a longitudinal decrease in PANSS “Positive Symptoms” levels. Conclusions: DM is relatively frequent in FES, already at the recruitment in EIP services. However, its severity decreases overtime within specialized EIP programs.