Drug Treatment of Depressive Symptoms in Schizophrenia

Depressive symptoms during schizophrenic psychosis represent an important part of the overall spectrum of psycho-pathological symptoms, not only in the schizoaffective type but also in the core groups of schizophrenic psychosis diagnosed according to the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV). Their clinical relevance stems from the patients' suffering and the association with suicide, as well as from the necessity to treat depressive symptoms in the context of schizophrenia. Besides the potential risk of inducing depressive symptoms, the first-generation antipsychotics seem to have a certain antidepressive effect, in the sense that depressive symptoms secondary to positive symptoms can be alleviated with the reduction of positive symptoms. The second-generation antipsychotics seem to have no risk to induce depressive symptoms, appear to have better antidepressive effects and, therefore, represent a better option for th...