Background: Depressive symptoms are common in middle aged and older patients with schizophrenia. The authors hypothesized that worse functioning in these patients would be associated with worse psychopathology.
Methods: Outpatients with schizophrenia were > or =40 years old with subsyndromal depression and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Scores of > or =8. Exclusions were dementia, two months of either mania or major depression or 1 month active substance abuse/dependence. The authors administered performance based functional assessments, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale of Schizophrenia [PANSS], and Calgary Depression Rating Scale.
Results: PANSS (-) scores were negatively correlated with the UCSD Performance Skills Based Assessment, Social Skills Performance Assessment and Medication Management Ability Assessment total error (MMAA) scores. Digit symbol scores served as a moderator of the relationship between MMAA and PANSS (-) scores.
Conclusions: Negative symptoms were associated with functioning. The relationship between negative symptoms and medication errors seem to weaken in subjects with quicker processing speed.