Is Anhedonia a Specific Dimension in Chronic Schizophrenia?

Abstract

This article explores the relationships among anhedonia, depression, and schizophrenic symptomatology in chronic schizophrenia. To explore these relationships, factor analysis methods were used to analyze the latent organization of the variables. The Fawcett Clark Pleasure Capacity Scale-Physical Pleasure (FCPCS-PP) and the abridged version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were completed by 150 subjects who met research diagnostic criteria for definite chronic schizophrenia. The schizophrenic symptomatology was rated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Two separate exploratory principal components analyses were completed, followed by varimax rotation. The first was made on the correlation matrix comprising items from both the FCPCS-PP and PANSS and yielded a five-factor solution with virtually no overlap of the significant factor loadings for the items from each scale. The second was made on the correlation matrix comprising items from both the FCPCS-PP and BDI and yielded a two-factor solution with virtually no overlap of the significant factor loadings for the items from each scale. Confirmatory factor analyses corresponding to the two exploratory factor analyses were done to examine the goodness of fit of the five-factor solution versus a four-factor solution and the two-factor solution versus a one-factor solution. The five-factor and the two-factor solutions yielded the best fit to the data relative to the other models tested. The findings support the view that part of anhedonia is a construct that is distinct and separate from depression and schizophrenic symptomatology in chronic schizophrenia.

Differential effects of high-dose amisulpride versus flupentixol on latent dimensions of depressive and negative symptomatology in acute schizophrenia: an evaluation using confirmatory factor analysis

“…This finding strongly corroborates the work of Loas et al (1996Loas et al ( , 2000 who found anhedonia as a construct that is distinct from both, depression and negative symptoms in chronic schizophrenia. According to Andreasen (2000), 'identifying the correct phenotype of schizophrenia is perhaps the most important goal of modern research in schizophrenia'.…”

Anhedonia in schizophrenia: The role of subjective experiences

“…This finding confirms previous results in the literature that found anhedonia to be independent from negative symptoms 26,74,[76][77][78][79] and could reflect the ability of these scales (i.e.…”

Fourteen-Year Prospective Follow-Up Study of Positive and Negative Symptoms in Chronic Schizophrenic Patients Dying from Suicide Compared to Other Causes of Death

“…A high level of anhedonia could be related to depression, which constitutes a strong predictor of suicide in schizophrenic subjects [1] , but using the same cohort we reported that physical anhedonia was independent of the negative and depressive dimensions of schizophrenia [15] . To explain these discordant findings it is useful to take into account the heterogeneity of anhedonia.…”

“…The patients gave informed consent to the study after it had been explained. Initially, the cohort had been created to explore anhedonia in chronic schizophrenia [15] .…”