The Dynamics of Clinical and Pathopsychological Features in Patients with Schizophrenia During the Course of Psychosis

The article presents the data on the features of clinical and psychopathological changes in the
structure of schizophrenia, concerning specifi c processes of self-esteem and self-actualization in
patients, features of the defi nition and description (verbalization) of their own emotions. It was
showed that with the development of the disease, the severity of psychopathological symptoms
changed. The onset of the disease was characterized by the predominance of anxiety-depressive
symptoms: the presence of anxiety, phobias, depression, expressiveness of obsessive-compulsive
and somatic symptoms. Subsequently, as the disease progressed, the indicators of anxiety, phobias,
obsessive-compulsive symptoms, somatic complaints signifi cantly decreased (p≤0.05), while the
rates of depression continued to remain high, and the index of psychoticism increased (p≤0.0001),
as well as the sense of hopelessness, self-destruction, the idea of blame (p≤0.01), which most likely
refl ected a growing defect in the emotional sphere. Among the psychological characteristics of
patients’ personality, depending on the duration of the disease, it was showed that the personality
characteristics of patients with schizophrenia varied depending on the duration of the disease. So,
in the early stages of the development of disease, the leading characteristics are the following: low
levels of alexithymia and social isolation, inadequacy of self-esteem, irritability and aggressiveness,
low cognitive need and reduced attention to their own needs. As the pathological process develops,
the predominant features are the following: the average levels of alexithymia and social isolation,
decreased self-esteem, dissatisfaction with interpersonal relationships, low levels of contact and
discrete perception. There is also the decrease of the ability to self-esteem and expression of
their feelings, the ability to verbalize emotional states, the level of self-perception. The obtained
data can act as psychopathological diff erential diagnostic criteria for evaluating the course of
schizophrenia and should be taken into account when conducting diff erentiated pharmacotherapy
and psychotherapy of this category of patients depending on the duration of the disease.