Negative symptom configuration in first episode Schizophrenia: findings from the “Parma Early Psychosis” program

Abstract

Purpose: Identifying distinct dimensions of negative symptoms in First Episode Schizophrenia (FES) might result in a better understanding and treatment of this invalidating symptomatology. Aim of this study was to examine negative symptom structure in FES patients using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Materials and Methods: All 147 participants, aged 12–35 years, completed the PANSS and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale. A principal component analysis with varimax rotation was performed to investigate PANSS negative symptom structure in the FES total sample.

Results: A 2-factor model (i.e. “Expressive Deficits” and “Asociality” dimensions) was identified. Only “Expressive Deficits” domain had a significant negative correlation with baseline GAF score.

Conclusions: This bipartite solution seems to be adequate to describe the phenomenological variety of negative symptoms experienced by FES individuals at the point of entry in early intervention services.

Keywords:

• Negative symptoms
• factor analysis
• first episode schizophrenia
• early psychosis
• dimensions

Acknowledgements

This research received no specific grant from any funding agencies in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. The Pr-EP program is partly financed through a special, treatment-oriented regional fund: “Progetto Esordi Psicotici della Regione Emilia Romagna”.

Ethical standards

Relevant local ethical approvals were sought for the study. All participants and their parents (if minors) agreed to participate to the research and gave their informed consent to the psychopathological evaluation prior to the inclusion in the study. The current study has been also carried-out in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) for experimental protocols including humans.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).