A literature review on the presence of depressive symptoms in schizophrenic patients, especially post-schizophrenic depression, was carried out. It was conducted a Medline search through the years 1966-2000 to identify original papers and review articles on the following: historical data, main studies, clinical features and progression, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, etiopathogenesis, and prognosis. Post- schizophrenic depression is an independent syndromic entity and should be considered as a clinical variety of delusional schizophrenic forms, and part of the natural disease progression.
Schizophrenia; Depression; Depressive symptoms