Co-Morbid Social Phobia in Schizophrenia

Abstract

Co-morbidity of schizophrenia and social anxiety disorder is not rare among patients with schizophrenia. Treatment implications need be further investigated.

Converging evidence of social avoidant behavior in schizophrenia from two approach-avoidance tasks

“…Additionally, we found positive symptom severity (as indicated by the SAPS total score and its Hallucinations subscale score) to be associated with the tendency to maintain a larger distance on the PST, which is likely attributable to the delusional and paranoid thoughts of others' intentions (Penn et al, 2008) and heightened social phobia typical in schizophrenia (Mazeh et al, 2009).…”

Social anxiety disorder in recent onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders: The relation with symptomatology, anxiety, and social rank

“…While several studies have reported a relation with levels of positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and social anxiety (Penn et al, 1994;Lysaker and Hammersley, 2006;Lysaker and Salyers, 2007;Mazeh et al, 2009), others have failed to find such a relation (Pallanti et al, 2004;Voges and Addington, 2005;Birchwood et al, 2006;Michail and Birchwood, 2009;Romm et al, 2012). Additionally, an association between social anxiety in schizophrenia and negative symptoms has been reported by some (Penn et al, 1994; Mazeh et al, 2009), but not all studies (Birchwood et al, 2006). One potential factor underlying these varying results is that these studies use different methods for determining the presence of social anxiety, with some researchers utilizing social anxiety symptom ratings and others employing full or partial diagnostic criteria for SAD .…”

Co-morbid anxiety disorders in patients with schizophrenia in a tertiary institution in South East Nigeria: prevalence and correlates.

“…A study carried out in Israel reported higher total PANSS score in in-patients with schizophrenia who also had co-morbid anxiety 20 . This may imply that the presence of anxiety disorder in schizophrenia is a poor prognostic indicator.…”

“…A study conducted in Nigeria reported low quality of life in patients with schizophrenia who had co-morbid anxiety disorder 19 . A study carried out in Israel in 2009 by Mazeh et al reported higher total positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) score in in-patients with co-morbid anxiety in schizophrenia but this did not reach statistical significance 20 . A high positive correlation was also reported between the severity of anxiety symptoms and positive symptoms in schizophrenia 21 .…”