Basic Symptoms in Young Female Patients with Depression within the Framework of Schizophrenia and Affective Spectrum Disorders

Objective. To study the structure and severity of basic symptoms in young female patients with endogenous depression. Materials and methods. A total of 119 female patients aged 16–26 years were examined. Three groups were identified: those meeting the criteria for a high risk of psychosis (51 patients, mean age 18.55 ± 3.84 years), those not meeting the criteria for a high risk of psychosis (48 patients, mean age 20.12 ± 3.84 years), and those with postpsychotic depression (20 patients, mean age 21.8 ± 4.5 years). The main study method was application of the COGDIS (cognitive distortions) and COPER (cognitive-perceptual) criteria for basic symptoms. Results. The criteria for basic symptoms were met by 83.3% of patients with depression without symptoms indicating risk of psychosis (mean severity score 24.0 ± 14.7), 96% with depression and high risk of psychosis (38.1 ± 15.9 points), and 50% with post-psychotic depression (15.3 ± 12.9 points). The COGDIS criteria were met by 62.5% of patients with depression without symptoms indicating risk of psychosis (16.2 ± 10.1 points), 68.6% with depression and high risk of psychosis (22.3 ± 9.6 points), and 25% with post-psychotic depression (9.2 ± 8.4 points). COPER criteria were met by 77.5% of patients with depression without symptoms increasing risk of psychosis (16.2 ± 10.3 points), 92.2% with depression with high risk of psychosis (28.4 ± 14.0 points), and 50% with postpsychotic depression (8.9 ± 9.7 points). Conclusion. The group with postpsychotic depression had a lower scores on the basic symptoms scale and a smaller percentage of patients meeting its criteria. Basic symptoms were common in the group of young female patients with depression not meeting the criteria for high risk. The score allows the high-risk group to be differentiated from the group of patients without symptoms indicative of risk.