TY - JOUR

T1 - Pseudoneurotic symptoms in the schizophrenia spectrum

T2 - An empirical study

AU - Rasmussen, Andreas Rosén

AU - Zandersen, Maja

AU - Nordgaard, Julie

AU - Sandsten, Karl Erik

AU - Parnas, Josef

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Background: Nonpsychotic symptoms (depression, anxiety, obsessions etc.) are frequent in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Twentieth century foundational psychopathological literature claimed that certain nonpsychotic symptoms (here termed pseudoneurotic symptoms) are relatively closely linked with the schizophrenia-spectrum, despite descriptive overlap with symptoms of other diagnoses. In this study, we investigated the association of pseudoneurotic and other nonpsychotic symptoms with the schizophrenia-spectrum as well as a hypothesis about an association of pseudoneurotic symptoms with disorder of basic self. Methods: The sample (N = 226) comprised patients with non-affective psychosis (N = 119), schizotypal personality disorder (N = 51) and other mental illness (N = 56), who were examined with a comprehensive assessment of lifetime psychopathology. Informed by the literature, we constructed scales targeting pseudoneurotic symptoms and other, more general, nonpsychotic symptoms. Results: Pseudoneurotic symptoms aggregated significantly in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders with an Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.84 (SE 0.03) for classifying patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders versus other mental illness. Patients with non-affective psychosis scored slightly, but significantly, higher on the scale targeting general nonpsychotic symptomatology than the other groups. In multiple regression analysis, pseudoneurotic symptoms were predicted by general nonpsychotic symptoms, disorders of basic self, and negative symptoms but not positive symptoms. Conclusion: The study supports that certain neurotic-like symptoms with specific descriptive features (pseudoneurotic symptoms) are associated with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. It suggests that pseudoneurotic symptoms are linked with temporally stable schizophrenia psychopathology (disorder of basic self and negative symptoms).

AB - Background: Nonpsychotic symptoms (depression, anxiety, obsessions etc.) are frequent in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Twentieth century foundational psychopathological literature claimed that certain nonpsychotic symptoms (here termed pseudoneurotic symptoms) are relatively closely linked with the schizophrenia-spectrum, despite descriptive overlap with symptoms of other diagnoses. In this study, we investigated the association of pseudoneurotic and other nonpsychotic symptoms with the schizophrenia-spectrum as well as a hypothesis about an association of pseudoneurotic symptoms with disorder of basic self. Methods: The sample (N = 226) comprised patients with non-affective psychosis (N = 119), schizotypal personality disorder (N = 51) and other mental illness (N = 56), who were examined with a comprehensive assessment of lifetime psychopathology. Informed by the literature, we constructed scales targeting pseudoneurotic symptoms and other, more general, nonpsychotic symptoms. Results: Pseudoneurotic symptoms aggregated significantly in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders with an Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.84 (SE 0.03) for classifying patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders versus other mental illness. Patients with non-affective psychosis scored slightly, but significantly, higher on the scale targeting general nonpsychotic symptomatology than the other groups. In multiple regression analysis, pseudoneurotic symptoms were predicted by general nonpsychotic symptoms, disorders of basic self, and negative symptoms but not positive symptoms. Conclusion: The study supports that certain neurotic-like symptoms with specific descriptive features (pseudoneurotic symptoms) are associated with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. It suggests that pseudoneurotic symptoms are linked with temporally stable schizophrenia psychopathology (disorder of basic self and negative symptoms).

KW - Comorbidity

KW - Nonpsychotic symptoms

KW - Phenomenology

KW - Psychosis

KW - Schizotypal personality disorder

KW - Self-disorder

U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2022.11.011

DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2022.11.011

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36423441

AN - SCOPUS:85142459219

VL - 250

SP - 164

EP - 171

JO - Schizophrenia Research

JF - Schizophrenia Research

SN - 0920-9964

ER -