POSTPSYCHOTIC DEPRESSION IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Post-psychotic depression (PPD) is defined as the development of depre ssion during the phase of remission of schizophrenia. Two groups of DS M-III-R schizophrenics, one with PPD and the other without PPD (30 sub jects in each group) were compared. Significantly more patients in PPD group belonged to nuclear families, had longer duration of psychotic phase of the illness, were hospitalised more frequently and had more s adness and anxiety-somatisation during florid illness phase. The PPD g roup also had more past history of depression. Although PPD patients h ad better premorbid personal-social adjustment in comparison with non- PPD group, they perceived themselves to be lacking in social support a nd had experienced more stressful life events. For patients in the PPD group, stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed age of onset, s adness during florid psychotic state, premorbid adjustment, social sup port and life events as significant determinants of severity of depres sion in the post-psychotic phase.