Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate if depression symptomatology of patients' parents is predicted by the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Methods: 101 mothers and 101 fathers of the same patients suffering from schizophrenia were included into this study. Parents filled in the "Beck Depression Inventory". Patients were assessed by means of the "Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale". For statistical analyses a Multidimensional Random Coefficients Multinomial Logit Model was applied.
Results: We found a significant positive association between negative symptoms and depression severity of fathers and mothers. Further, a significant positive association between positive symptoms and depression severity of fathers, but not of mothers was found.
Conclusion: Our results show that depression of mothers and of fathers is associated with symptoms of schizophrenia even when controlling for potential predictors.
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.