[Clinical and pathopsychological features of youth depression with attenuated schizophrenic symptoms].

Objective: To determine the clinical and pathopsychological features of youth depressions with attenuated schizophrenic symptoms (ASS), and their significance for early differential diagnostic and nosological assessment.

Material And Methods: Twenty young patients (19.7±3.7 years) with the first depressive episode with attenuated schizophrenic symptoms (ASS) (ICD-10 items F32.1, F32.2, F32.3) (basic group) were divided into subgroup 1 with attenuated positive symptoms - APS (19.3%) and subgroup 2 with attenuated negative symptoms - ANS (45.1%). Eleven young patients (19.4±2.9 years) with the classic depressive episode without ASS (ICD-10 items F32.1, F32.2) were included in a control group. Psychometric scales HDRS, SOPS, SANS, pathopsychological methods and Adult Personality Traits Questionnaire (APTQ) were used.

Results: Statistically significant differences in the severity of depression were not found. A higher SOPS total score (=0.006) and a greater severity of negative symptoms on SANS (=0.006) were detected in patients of clinical groups compared with the comparison group. Distortion of the generalization process was detected in 60% of cases, impairments of immediate memorization were found in 30%, and the non-constructive nature of associations in 10%. Indirect data on greater emotional integrity of patients from the comparison group was obtained.

Conclusion: The presence of similar clinical and psychological abnormalities in the youth depressions with ASS allows us to attribute these phenomena to the possible risk factors for the development of schizophrenia.