Negative symptoms and concomitant attention deficits in schizophrenia: Associations with prospective assessments of anxiety, social dysfunction, and avoidant coping

Abstract

Background: Negative symptoms are a significant barrier to function and may have a range of etiological roots and links to outcome. A previous study identified a subgroup of patients with schizophrenia who had both higher levels of negative symptoms and relatively poorer attentional function who had uniquely lower self-esteem and greater internalized stigma. Aims: To determine whether participants previously classified as having High Negative/Poorer Attention would continue to have lower self-esteem, higher self-stigma, and also higher levels of anxiety and avoidant coping 5 months later. Method: Participants were 77 (77.8%) of the original 99 participants who completed follow-up procedures. Results: The High Negative/Poorer Attention group had significantly poorer social functioning, lower appraisal of their competence, higher levels of anxiety, and a higher preference for ignoring stressors five months after classification. Conclusions: Negative symptoms with concomitant attention deficits may lead to more social and psychological dysfunction than negative symptoms or attention deficits alone. Individuals with both high levels of negative symptoms and poor attention may represent a meaningful subgroup with unique psychosocial difficulties that persist over time.