The term schizophrenic residual describes a personality change that can occur in the context of schizophrenia and is characterized by a pronounced negative symptomatology compared to the acute schizophrenic episode. The term negative symptoms covers all symptoms that are related to the reduction or diminution of psychological characteristics of a person. These include lack of drive, loss of interest, emotional dullness, social withdrawal and much more. A schizophrenic residue occurs in two thirds of cases following acute schizophrenic psychosis and can last from several months to years.
What symptoms characterize a schizophrenic residue?
The symptoms that occur during a schizophrenic relapse are summarized under the term negative symptoms, as described above. One of the leading symptoms is a pronounced lack of drive, which can lead to a significant restriction of everyday life. In this context, affected persons often report that even banal actions are accompanied by a great deal of exhaustion and that there is no motivation to meet friends, go to work or perform everyday activities such as shopping.
A lack of motivation can thus contribute to social isolation, as those affected have significantly fewer social contacts. However, many patients are not interested in maintaining such contacts. Furthermore, almost all patients have a depressed mood characterized by joylessness and a feeling of hopelessness.
In addition to the concentration disorder, which can result in a restriction of professional activities, sleep disorders and a lower physical resilience are not rare. If one compares this spectrum of symptoms with that of depression, clear similarities are noticeable. In everyday clinical practice, it is often not easy to differentiate between these two diseases.
However, a known schizophrenia in the patient’s medical history is usually the leading factor in this respect. If one looks only at the symptom spectrum of these two diseases, a differentiation is indeed difficult. However, a differentiation is usually simplified by the fact that patients with a schizophrenic residue in all cases have a known schizophrenia in their medical history.
In addition, during a residual, individual positive symptoms, such as acoustic hallucinations, can occur, which is much less common in depression. The clinical course of the disease represents another possibility for differentiation. Depression, for example, usually progresses in phases that can last several months, but are to a certain extent self-limiting. In some cases, however, the residual depression can last well beyond this time frame. Do you have further questions about the symptoms of depression?
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