Depression and it's treatment in patients with schizoaffective disorder

AIM: To study the influence of depression on the quality of remission in patients with schizoaffective disorder (SAD) and develop recommendations for anti-relapse therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty-nine outpatients with the diagnosis of SAD were examined, in whom 348 remission cases were studied. In accordance with the characteristics of the episodes, the patients were divided into 2 main groups: patients with only depressive manifestations (group 1) and patients with affective disorders of both poles (group 2). Clinical-psychopathological, clinical-anamnestic, clinical-follow-up and statistical methods were used. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The type of SAD did not have a significant effect on the duration of remission and the duration of subsequent hospitalization. Patients of group 2 had residual symptoms in remission almost 2 times less often and the level of affective-delusional disorders in this group was higher compared to group 1. In both groups, affective symptoms are represented by subdepression. Patients without residual symptoms had a longer remission compared to patients with subdepression. Subdepressive disorders are associated with lower treatment adherence. Prescribing anti-relapse treatment of SAD, one should consider not only the current state and features of the last episode, but also the features of previous episodes. Patients with depressive episodes are characterized by subdepressive residual symptoms in remission. For patients with different variants of affective disorders in SAD, emotional disorders in remission are as specific as elements of affective-delusional disorders. Anti-relapse therapy should include neuroleptics and normothymics. In case of residual depressive symptoms, the authors recommend the addition of antidepressants.