DEPRESSION AND THE EXPERIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFICITS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

A study of the relationships between depression and the subjective exp erience of psychological deficits was carried out in a group of 50 sch izophrenic patients selected from a population of long-term mentally i ll patients. Experience of psychological deficits was associated with depression, and furthermore the temporal relationships between the phe nomena supported the hypothesis that experience of psychological defic its is associated with vulnerability to depression in schizophrenia. I n addition, the patients' self-reporting of depressed mood and negativ e cognitions was congruent with an observer's assessment of depression . These findings indicate that subjective experiences of deficits char acteristic of the schizophrenic illness confer vulnerability to depres sion, but nonetheless the patients' experience of depression resembles that typical of depressed non-schizophrenic patients.