Delusions ; psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Psychotic Disorders ; psychology ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether aberrant tendency of noncurrent emotion was present in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis and to explore its associations with various clinical profiles. METHODS: Fifty-seven individuals at UHR and 49 normal controls were enrolled. The tendency of experiencing noncurrent emotion was assessed using various noncurrent emotional self-reported formats, including trait [Neuroticism and Extraversion of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire], hypothetical (Chapman’s Revised Physical and Social Anhedonia Scales), and retrospective [Anhedonia-Asociality Subscale of the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS)] measures. Self-related beliefs (Self-Perception Scale), clinical positive and negative symptoms (SA Positive Symptoms and SANS), psychosocial function (Global Functioning Scale: Role Function and Global Functioning Scale: Social Function) were also examined. RESULTS: Subjects at UHR for psychosis reported more trait unpleasant and less trait pleasant emotions, more hypothetical physical and social anhedonia, and more retrospective anhedonia than normal controls. In UHR, self-perception was correlated to trait unpleasant emotion and hypothetical physical and social anhedonia. Negative symptoms in UHR were associated with hypothetical physical anhedonia and retrospective anhedonia. Global social functioning was related to trait pleasant emotion, hypothetical physical and social anhedonia, and retrospective anhedonia. Neurocognitive function, positive symptoms, and global role functioning were not related with any noncurrent emotional experience measures in UHR. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the aberrant tendency of noncurrent emotional experience may be present at the ‘putative’ prodromal phase and are grossly associated with self-related beliefs and psychosocial functioning but not neurocognitive functioning.
Anhedonia ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Psychotic Disorders* ; Retrospective Studies ; Self Concept

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlative factors for organic psychotic symptoms following traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: In the current study, 391 subjects who had undergone forensic identification of the organic mental disorders due to TBI were included, both the demographic and post-traumatic information collected. The relevant data were statistically analyzed in those confirmed as organic psychotic syndrome according to Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders 3rd version (CCMD-3). RESULTS: Fifty-two subjects (13.3%) were identified as organic psychotic symptoms. The chi-square test showed that the detectable organic psychotic symptoms were associated with the marriage status, damage nature, injury severity and treatment, and the multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed good fitness of treatment and injury severity with the regression model (OR = 0.044, 95% CI: 0.017-0.114; OR = 2.145, 95% CI: 1.201-3.832, respectively). CONCLUSION The risks of organic psychotic symptoms following TBI can be involved in the alternative of craniotomy for the cases with trauma and moderate brain injury.
Brain Injuries/psychology* ; Humans ; Psychotic Disorders/etiology* ; Risk ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVES: To explore the occurrence and the differences of clinical manifestations of organic personality disorder with varying degrees of craniocerebral trauma. METHODS: According to the International Classification of Diseases-10, 396 subjects with craniocerebral trauma caused by traffic accidents were diagnosed, and the degrees of craniocerebral trauma were graded. The personality characteristics of all patients were evaluated using the simplified Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Five-Factor Inventory （NEO-FFI）. RESULTS: The occurrence rate of organic personality disorder was 34.6% while it was 34.9% and 49.5% in the patients with moderate and severe craniocerebral trauma, respectively, which significantly higher than that in the patients （18.7%） of mild craniocerebral trauma （P<0.05）. Compared with the patients without personality disorder, the neuroticism, extraversion and agreeableness scores all showed significantly differences （P<0.05） in the patients of mild craniocerebral trauma with personality disorder; the neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness scores showed significantly differences （ P>0.05） in the patients of moderate and severe craniocerebral trauma with personality disorder. The agreeableness and conscientiousness scores in the patients of moderate and severe craniocerebral trauma with personality disorder were significantly lower than that of mild craniocerebral trauma, and the patients of severe craniocerebral trauma had a lower score in extraversion than in the patients of mild craniocerebral trauma. CONCLUSIONS The severity of craniocerebral trauma is closely related to the incidence of organic personality disorder, and it also affects the clinical features of the latter, which provides a certain significance and help for forensic psychiatric assessment.
Craniocerebral Trauma/pathology* ; Humans ; Personality ; Personality Disorders/psychology* ; Personality Inventory ; Psychotic Disorders/psychology*

OBJECTIVES: The Objective of this case report is to present basic materials of clinical symptomatologic study in narcissistic personality disorder by reviewing a case diagnosed as narcissistic personality disorder with brief psychotic episode. METHODS: The subject was a psychiatric inpatient diagnosed concomitantly as narcissistic personality disorder and brief psychotic disorder by DSM- IV. Practical clinical diagnostic process for narcissistic personality disorder was applied and reviewed. Clinical characteristics of brief psychotic episode in narcissistic personality disorder such as precipitating psychological factors, main psychotic symptoms, and course were investigated as well. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: For diagnosing narcissistic personality disorder, it is essential besides superficially manifested symptoms, to search for underlying psychological meanings of those symptoms, careful observations of behavior and attitude, and to take reliable informations from family or relatives. In case of encountering blow-out of pathologically inflated grandiose self mainly in middle age, brief psychotic episode could be broken out. Main features of the episode were affective symptoms, failure in impulse and behavior control, and perceptual disturbances rather than thought disorder.
Affective Symptoms ; Behavior Control ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Middle Aged ; Personality Disorders* ; Psychology ; Psychotic Disorders

The author studied the mental status of 497 patients admitted in non-psychiatric wards and 42 patients diagnosed as mental disorders by DSM-III-R criteria and admitted in three general hospitals located in Pusan city, using NADS and PSCS. The assessment were obtained from October, 1991 to March, 1992 and the results as follows: The mean±SD of Anxiety-Depression scores were 34.4±10.4 in non-psychiatric patients and 50.0±18.3 in psychiatric patients. The psychiatric group had significantly higher scores than non-psychiatric group. The mean±SD of Psychosis scores were 3.9±4.4 in non-psychiatric patients and 20.3±9.8 in psychiatric patients. The psychiatric group had significantly higher scores than non-psychiatric group. In the psychosocial factors, dissatisfaction in family atmosphere and acquaintanceship with parents (P<0.001, relatively), pessimistic in future, present and past self-images (P<0.001, relatively), and yes in previous psychiatric treatment of admission (p<0.01, relatively) had common significant relationships to Anxiety-Depression and Psychosis scores. There were correlationships between NADS scores and PSCS scores (γ=0.74), past and present self-images (γ=0.45), present and future self images (γ=0.45), past and future self-images (γ=0.34) and family atmosphere and acquaintanceship with parents (γ=0.49) The regression analysis revealed that present self-image, acquaintanceship with parents, future self-image, past self-image, and family atmosphere, in order of significance were to be descriptive or predicable variances for Anxiety-Depression status. The discriminant analysis according to Anxiety-Depression scores showed that the cases of incorrect classification were 22 for non-psychiatric patient group and 2 for psychiatric patient group.
Anxiety ; Atmosphere ; Busan ; Classification ; Depression ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Mental Disorders ; NAD ; Parents ; Psychology ; Psychotic Disorders

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have suggested that some personality characteristics are associated with the onset, prognosis and social function in schizophrenia patients. However few is known about the personality and affective characteristic of genetic high risk group (GHR) for schizophrenia. This study aimed to investigate the personality and the affective characteristic of GHR group for schizophrenia. METHODS: Participants were 54 healthy controls (HC), 26 subjects with GHR for schizophrenia and 28 subjects with first episode psychosis (FEP). We performed three self-report questionnaires; NEO-Personality Inventory-Revised, State and Anger Expression Inventory and Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule. RESULTS: The GHR group showed higher score in agreeableness item than the HC (p=0.028). In extraversion item, the FEP group showed significantly lower scores than the HC (p=0.001). The GHR group showed lower scores in neuroticism item compared with FEP group in trend level. The FEP group showed higher trait-anger, lower positive affect and higher negative affect compared with the others. CONCLUSION: The GHR group seem to share certain vulnerable personality and affective characteristics for schizophrenia with the FEP group. On the other hands, the GHR group appeared to be more agreeable than the other groups, which might act as the compensation for other impaired functions.
Anger ; Anxiety Disorders ; Compensation and Redress ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Hand ; Humans ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Prognosis ; Psychotic Disorders ; Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a common but complex mental disorder affected by multiple factors. Forensic psychiatric assessment of schizophrenia involves evaluations on many aspects, but there is no effective biological identification index for schizophrenia. Researches indicate that dysfunction of dopaminergic neurotransmission plays an important role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Our study reviews the classification, genetic structure of dopamine receptors and the recent pertinent studies between the dopamine receptors and schizophrenia and its forensic significance.
Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Mental Disorders ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Psychotic Disorders ; Receptors, Dopamine/genetics* ; Schizophrenia/genetics* ; Schizophrenic Psychology

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship of insight with socio-demographic, clinical, and cognitive parameters in schizophrenic patients. METHODS: Seventy-seven patients with schizophrenia were recruited. All subjects completed the Korean version of the revised Insight Scale of Psychosis (KISP) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Positive and Negative symptom scale (PANSS), Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), Neurocognitive function tests were also administered. RESULTS: Patients that are married or currently living together showed significantly higher levels of insight than those who are divorced, separated, or single. Insight showed positive correlations with CDSS and emotional discomfort factor of PANSS. Insight also had negative correlations with age of onset and family, friend subscales of MSPSS. Total scores of PANSS and neurocognitive functions showed no significant correlations with insight. More severe depressive symptoms, lower perceived social support from friends and family, and younger age of onset were predictor of higher insight. CONCLUSION: The study suggest that impaired insight might be independent from general psychopathology and cognitive function and more influenced by emotional status and social environment.
Age of Onset ; Depression ; Divorce ; Friends ; Humans ; Psychology* ; Psychopathology* ; Psychotic Disorders ; Schizophrenia* ; Social Environment

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the psychosocial factors and clinical symptoms related to the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) in 35 consecutive first-episode inpatients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Data from 35 schizophrenic patients were obtained from two general psychiatric inpatient units at a university medical center. These data included scores from Index of Social Position (ISP), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) as well as socio-demographic informations. RESULTS: Among socio-demographic variables, lower social position (r=.610, p<.001), male sex (r=.407, p=.015), and grew up in rural area (r=.335, p=.045) were significantly correlated with DUP. The interpersonal sensitivity of SCL-90-R was the only symptomatic variable significantly correlated with DUP (r=.379, p=.027). However, after controlling interactive effects of the variables, only lower social position and interpersonal sensitivity remained significant. Lower social position was more influential on DUP than interpersonal sensitivity in the multiple regression model. CONCLUSION: Both social and symptomatic factors independently influenced DUP in schizophrenic patients. Lower social position defined by education and occupation of patients or caretakers may reflect barriers to psychiatric services or poor identification of mental illness. This together with patients' subjective distress in interpersonal interactions may delay the intervention of psychiatric services.
Academic Medical Centers ; Education ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Male ; Occupations ; Psychology ; Psychotic Disorders* ; Schizophrenia*