Depressive symptoms diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders in Russian clinical practice

A cohort study of depression in schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders was conducted in four Russian regional mental health services with the use of simultaneous one-day census on October 20, 2011. The total number of patients in this study was 1269: 753 patients were receiving outpatient treatment, 143 patients were served in day clinics and 373 patients were in-patients in psychiatric hospitals. Depressive symptoms were present in 6.0% of outpatients, 50.3% of day clinic patients, and 36.5% of inpatients. The average duration of current depressive symptoms in weeks was 10.0, 8.1, 9.0, respectively. The periods of depressive symptoms during the last 2 years were revealed in 30.8% of outpatients, 67.8% of day clinic patients, and 42.1% of inpatients with the average duration of each such period in weeks 10.9, 12.2, 8.3, respectively. In outpatient settings, 28.8% of patients received antidepressants in addition to antipsychotic therapy. The proportion of inpatients receiving this treatment was 42.1%, and two thirds of patients received antidepressants in day clinics.