Co-Morbid Social Phobia in Schizophrenia

Doron Mazeh, Ehud Bodner, Ronit Weizman, Yael Delayahu, Alexander Cholostoy, Tatiana Martin and Yoram Barak
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Doron Mazeh: Abarbanel Mental Health Centre, Bat-Yam; Bar-Ilan University, Israel, mazehdor@netvision.net.il
Ehud Bodner: Bar-Ilan University, Israel
Ronit Weizman: Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
Yael Delayahu: Abarbanel Mental Health Centre, Bat-Yam, Israel
Alexander Cholostoy: Abarbanel Mental Health Centre, Bat-Yam, Israel
Tatiana Martin: Abarbanel Mental Health Centre, Bat-Yam, Israel
Yoram Barak: Abarbanel Mental Health Centre, Bat-Yam; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2009, vol. 55, issue 3, 198-202

Abstract: Background: The co-morbid occurrence of anxiety disorders and schizophrenia has recently begun to be investigated. Social anxiety may be especially important to diagnose and manage among patients with schizophrenia. Aim: To investigate the prevalence and correlates of social phobia in patients with schizophrenia. Method: Diagnosis of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders as well as co-morbid anxiety disorders was established according to DSM-IV and the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnosis (SCID-P Hebrew version). Severity of psychotic symptoms and social anxiety symptoms was assessed with the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). Results: The cohort studied included 117 patients with schizophrenia. Thirteen patients were diagnosed as suffering from co-morbid social phobia (11%). There was a tendency for patients with co-morbid social phobia to have higher severity PANSS total score. There was a significant correlation between the score of the LSAS `fear' and PANSS positive subscales. Avoidance scores were higher among patients with negative signs. Conclusion: Co-morbidity of schizophrenia and social anxiety disorder is not rare among patients with schizophrenia. Treatment implications need be further investigated.

Keywords: social anxiety; schizophrenia; fear; co-morbidity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:55:y:2009:i:3:p:198-202

DOI: 10.1177/0020764008093447

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