Self- and interview-rated negative mood states in schizophrenia: Their convergence and prediction of thought disturbance

This longitudinal study evaluated the relations between self- and interview-rated negative mood in schizophrenics and compared the prognostic utility of these two methods. Thirty schizophrenics who had been stabilized on neuroleptic medications were evaluated with self-report and interview-based measures of mood and symptomatology at an initial assessment and again at 6-month follow-up. Results indicated that measures of self- and interview-rated negative mood showed little agreement at the initial assessment; however, at follow-up, significant convergent correlations between the two methods were obtained. Self-reported negative mood at the initial evaluation predicted the severity of thought disturbance at follow-up, whereas interview-based ratings of mood did not. The results underscore the importance of conducting multimethod assessments of mood and support other research suggesting that self-reported negative mood states may predict course of the illness in schizophrenia.This research was supported by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Grants MH38636 and MH39998 and by a grant from the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD). Jack J. Blanchard was also supported in part by NIMH Grant MH18932 for the Collaborative Training Program in Schizophrenia Research at the Medical College of Pennsylvania/EPPI. Portions of this research were presented at the 24th Annual Meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, San Francisco, California, November 2, 1990, and at the 3rd International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, Tucson, Arizona, April 22, 1991.