Effects of the day ward on the negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Introduction



Negative symptoms in schizophrenia are still difficult to treat, even with adequate pharmacotherapy and psychosocial interventions. Relatively little is known about the effectiveness of complex treatment programs. The purpose of the present study was to test the effectiveness of the day care clinic on psychotic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and to explore possible predictors of therapeutic response.



Methods



The study involved 59 patients with  diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder, 41 of whom had complete data. Participants were examined using the Brief Negative Symptoms Scale (BNSS), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Calgary Depression Scale (CDS). After completing treatment in the unit, patients were reexamined with the same measures.



Results



Participants experienced a significant reduction in the severity of negative and depressive symptoms. The improvement in negative symptoms was explained in part by a decrease in depressive symptoms. No predictors of treatment response were found for negative symptoms.



Discussion-Conclusion



The study found that a three-months treatment can lead to a clinically significant reduction of the severity of negative symptoms. The improvement was observed in all five domains, which is likely due to the inclusion of  various therapeutic interventions - such as psychotherapy, art therapy, social skills training and others. Although  caution is needed because of the naturalistic nature of the study, it appears that a day ward may be beneficial for patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders experiencing negative symptoms.