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The time structure of depressive mood in schizophrenic patients
Author(s) -
Strian F.,
Heger R.,
Klicpera C.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1982.tb00821.x
Subject(s) - depression (economics) , mood , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , psychology , psychiatry , depressive mood , depressed mood , rating scale , clinical psychology , depressive symptoms , mood disorders , cognition , developmental psychology , anxiety , economics , macroeconomics
This research focused on the depressive mood of 134 inpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. All of the patients filled in a self‐rating mood scale (Befindlichkeits‐Skala by von Zerssen ) every other day. The frequency of depressive mood and the intensity and dynamics of each period of depression were analysed with the aid of defined algorithms. Marked depression was found in more than half of the patients. Depression was seen predominantly at the beginning of hospitalization, and subsequent occurrences were not concentrated in any specific time periods. The results suggested that depression in schizophrenia is predominantly an experience or consequence of the underlying illness and that pharmacological factors are not of as great importance as has been thus far assumed in the literature.