Interplay between negative symptoms, time spent doing nothing, and negative emotions in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: results from a 37-site study
Giulio D’Anna,
Cristina Zarbo,
Giuseppe Cardamone,
Manuel Zamparini,
Stefano Calza,
Matteo Rota,
Christoph U. Correll,
Matteo Rocchetti,
Fabrizio Starace,
Giovanni de Girolamo,
DIAPASON collaborators
Affiliations
Giulio D’Anna
Department of Mental Health, AUSL Toscana Centro
Cristina Zarbo
Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca
Giuseppe Cardamone
Department of Mental Health, AUSL Toscana Centro
Manuel Zamparini
Unit of Epidemiological and Evaluation Psychiatry, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli
Stefano Calza
Unit of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia
Matteo Rota
Unit of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia
Christoph U. Correll
Department of Psychiatry, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Northwell Health
Matteo Rocchetti
Department of Mental Health and Dependence, ASST of Pavia
Fabrizio Starace
Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, AUSL di Modena
Giovanni de Girolamo
Unit of Epidemiological and Evaluation Psychiatry, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli
Abstract This study evaluated the relationship between negative symptoms, daily time use (productive/non-productive activities, PA/NPA), and negative emotions in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSDs): 618 individuals with SSDs (311 residential care patients [RCPs], 307 outpatients) were surveyed about socio-demographic, clinical (BPRS, BNSS) and daily time use (paper-and-pencil Time Use Survey completed twice/week) characteristics. Among them 57 RCPs and 46 outpatients, matched to 112 healthy controls, also underwent ecological monitoring of emotions (8 times/day for a week) through Experience Sampling Method (ESM). RCPs spent significantly less time in PA than outpatients. Patients with more negative symptomatology spent more time in NPA and less in PA compared to patients with milder symptoms. Higher time spent in NPA was associated with negative emotions (p < 0.001 during workdays) even when correcting for BNSS total and antipsychotic polypharmacy (p = 0.002 for workdays, p = 0.006 for Sundays). Future studies are needed to explore in more detail the relationship between negative emotions, negative symptoms, time use, and functioning in individuals with SSDs, providing opportunities for more informed and personalised clinical treatment planning and research into interactions between different motivational, saliency and behavioural aspects in individuals with SSDs.
