Abstract:Objective To investigate the depressive status in the elderly schizophrenia patients who were hospitalized for a long period, and explore the depressive episode and characteristics of the symptoms. Methods A total of 60 elderly patients (30 males and 30 females) with schizophrenia who had been admitted in our hospital for more than 2 years were recruited in this study. Hamiltion Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) was employed to assess their depressive symptoms. The clinical features of the depressed mood were analyzed based the findings of this cohort. Results The incidence of depressive symptoms was 11.7% (male 0.0%, female 23.3%) in those long-term hospitalized elderly schizophrenia patients, with the female prevalence higher than that in males. In accordance with the severity of depressive symptoms, the characteristics were retardation, anxiety/somatization, cognitive impairment, hopelessness, and sleep disorder in order. Conclusion We shouldn’t ignore the depressive symptoms in the long-term hospitalized elderly patients with schizophrenia, and should take active and effective measures, even medication therapy, psychological treatment, rehabilitation treatment and other comprehensive treatment strategy when necessary.