NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS AT DISCHARGE AND OUTCOME IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Background. The clinical significance in schizophrenia of positive and negative symptoms at discharge was assessed. Method. Of schizophrenic patients fulfilling DSM-III criteria. 113 were recruited for this stu dy. Personal, social and psychopathological data were collected and al l cases were followed up at one and two years after discharge. Results . The presence of positive symptoms (64 cases), without concomitant ne gative symptoms, did not predict the follow-up social function and pos itive symptom score. Conversely, the presence of negative symptoms (31 cases) predicted worse social functioning (P<0.05 to P<0.005) and hig her positive symptom scores (P<0.01) at follow-up using MANOVA. Eighte en cases (15.9%) had neither positive nor negative symptoms and had th e best clinical outcome. Conclusions. Negative, but not positive, symp toms assessed at discharge are an important predictor of poor outcome. In addition, negative symptoms may themselves expose a biological vul nerability to the presence of positive symptoms.