Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the social anxiety disorder comorbidity and clinical features in schizophrenia.
Method: 102 (23 women and 79 men) outpatients who had been followed in the Psychotic Disorders Unit in Bakırköy Research and Training Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery were diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-IV criteria were included in the study. Schizophrenia and Social anxiety disorder were assessed by a structured clinical interview for DSM-IV. Patients were evaluated with a questionnaire which included demographics, clinical characteristics, Liebowitz social anxiety scale, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Calgary depression scale for schizophrenia (CDSS),The Scale of Unawareness of Mental Disorders (SUMD), Short form-36 health survey questionnaire and state-trait anxiety ınventory.
Results: In remission, 22 patients (21.6%) had co-morbid social anxiety disorder. Patients with social anxiety disorder comorbidity, had higher levels of awareness. Their depression scores were higher and functional impairments were lower. These patients had been treated with typical and atypical antipsychotics and antidepressants.
Conclusion: Social anxiety disorder comorbidity in schizophrenia adversely affects the quality of life and is not rare. Future studies should be planned with the assesment of social anxiety disorder treatment as well as schizophrenia treatment.