Co-Morbid Social Phobia in Schizophrenia

• Published in: International journal of social psychiatry 2009-05, Vol.55 (3), p.198-202
• Main Authors: Mazeh, Doron, Bodner, Ehud, Weizman, Ronit, Delayahu, Yael, Cholostoy, Alexander, Martin, Tatiana, Barak, Yoram
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Anxiety; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Avoidance behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical interviews; Comorbidity; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Fear; Fear & phobias; Female; Humans; Israel - epidemiology; Male; Medical diagnosis; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Phobia; Phobic Disorders - diagnosis; Phobic Disorders - epidemiology; Phobic Disorders - psychology; Prevalence; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Psychosis; Psychotic symptoms; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - diagnosis; Schizophrenia - epidemiology; Schizophrenic Psychology; Severity; Severity of Illness Index; Shyness; Social anxiety; Suffering; Treatment needs
• ISSN: 0020-7640; 1741-2854
• DOI: 10.1177/0020764008093447

Background: The co-morbid occurrence of anxiety disorders and schizophrenia has recently begun to be investigated. Social anxiety may be especially important to diagnose and manage among patients with schizophrenia. Aim: To investigate the prevalence and correlates of social phobia in patients with schizophrenia. Method: Diagnosis of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders as well as co-morbid anxiety disorders was established according to DSM-IV and the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnosis (SCID-P Hebrew version). Severity of psychotic symptoms and social anxiety symptoms was assessed with the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). Results: The cohort studied included 117 patients with schizophrenia. Thirteen patients were diagnosed as suffering from co-morbid social phobia (11%). There was a tendency for patients with co-morbid social phobia to have higher severity PANSS total score. There was a significant correlation between the score of the LSAS `fear' and PANSS positive subscales. Avoidance scores were higher among patients with negative signs. Conclusion: Co-morbidity of schizophrenia and social anxiety disorder is not rare among patients with schizophrenia. Treatment implications need be further investigated.