Subjective cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenic and depressed patients

We examined the experience of subjective cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenic and depressive patients and in patient control and normal control subjects, using questionnaires for measuring components of everyday attentional functioning and subjective cognitive difficulties. These subjective ratings were stable over a period of 3 months. Irrespective of diagnosis, psychiatric patients reported higher levels of distractibility, cognitive overload, and cognitive failures. The psychopathological correlates of these experiences and of reduced processing capacity and attentional control consisted primarily of symptoms of anxiety and depression and the corresponding personality traits. However, cognitive overload experiences were specifically associated with psychotic and psychotic-like symptoms. No correlation was found between negative symptoms and subjective cognitive efficacy. The discussion focuses on the energetic aspects of cognition and on problems of cognitive self-evaluation. It is argued that subjective cognitive measures are worth studying in their own right, and that they may be of interest to clinicians involved in rehabilitation programs.