Relationship between improvements of subjective well-being and depressive symptoms during acute treatment of schizophrenia with atypical antipsychotics

What is known and Objective: It has been suggested that atypical antipsychotics may exert beneficial effects on subjective well-being as well as depressive symptoms in schizophrenia. However, the relationship between the two remains to be clarified. The authors examined the relationship between subjective well-being and depressive symptoms across the course of acute treatment with atypical antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Thirty-five inpatients with schizophrenia were examined for subjective well-being, psychopathology, and extrapyramidal side effects before and 8 weeks after the initiation of new treatment with atypical antipsychotics. Results and Discussion: Significant improvement was observed in subjective well-being, psychotic symptoms, and depressive symptoms. No change was observed in the severity of extrapyramidal side effect. The subjective well-being score had significant negative correlations with depressive symptom score both at baseline and at week 8. The mean change in subjective well-being score was significantly correlated with that in depressive symptom score. The severity of depressive symptoms at baseline was significantly correlated with the subsequent change in subjective well-being score and the change in depressive symptom score was the only predictor of change in subjective well-being score. What is new and Conclusion: Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with subjective well-being in patients with schizophrenia and may moderate the acute effects of atypical antipsychotic treatment on subjective well-being. Further investigations are necessary to fully define the place of depressive symptoms in the conceptualization of subjective well-being in schizophrenia and the optimal use of atypical antipsychotics.