This study assessed the factors associated to persistence of negative symptoms in patients treated with antipsychotics.

A retrospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study was carried out by 117 Spanish Psychiatrists (The CLAMORS Collaborative Group). Consecutive outpatients meeting DSM-IV criteria for Schizophrenia, Schizophreniform or Schizoaffective Disorder, under antipsychotic treatment for at least 12 weeks, were recruited. Negative symptoms were assessed using the PANSS scale (1-blunted affect; 2-emotional withdrawal; 3-poor rapport; 4-social withdrawal; 5-abstract thinking; 6-verbal fluency; 7-stereotyped thinking). Persistence of a negative symptom was defined by severity score >3. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied including gender, age, civil status, work situation, BMI, time on antipsychotic treatment and dose, CGI and Total and Positive PANSS scores, cardiovascular risk by SCORE (10-year death) and Framingham (10-year all CV events) equations and Metabolic Syndrome.

1452 evaluable patients (863 men, 60.9%), 40.7+12.2 years (mean+SD) were included. Negative symptoms (one or more) were presented in 60.3% of patients. All negative symptoms were associated to worst clinical severity (higher CGI and Total PANSS scores). Negative symptoms were also associated to gender (symptoms 4), age (symptoms 1,2,4,5), civil status (symptoms 2,4), work situation (symptoms 3,4,5), time on antipsychotic treatment (symptoms 1,2,3,6,7), and dose (symptom 2).

Persistence of negative symptoms plays an important role in patients treated with antipsychotics, being all of them associated to clinical severity but also to other sociodemographic and time and dose with current antipsychotic treatment.

On behalf of the CLAMORS Collaborative Group.