To explore the social and physical anhedonia and its relationship to intrinsic motivation in patients with schizophrenia.

One hundred and twenty-five stable schizophrenic patients from three psychiatric hospitals in Hefei, Wuhu and Beihai, and 101 healthy controls from same communities were recruited.All subjects completed Chinese version of revised social anhedonia scale(RSAS-C), Chinese version of revised physical anhedonia scale(RPAS-C) and intrinsic motivation inventory for schizophrenia research(IMI-SR), while positive and negative syndrome scale(PANSS) and Calgary depression scale for schizophrenia(CDSS) were used to assess the clinical symptoms of schizophrenic patients.All analyses were conducted by SPSS 26.0 software.The Mann-Whitney U test and covariance analysis were used for comparison between the groups, and Spearman correlation and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to explore the association between the anhedonia and intrinsic motivation in schizophrenics.

Compared with controls, the RSAS-C (10.00(6.00, 14.00) vs 11.00(8.00, 15.00), Z=-2.187, P<0.05) and RPAS-C (12.00(7.50, 20.00) vs 16.00(10.00, 23.00), Z=-3.026, P<0.01) scores in patients were higher, but the differerce between the groups disappeared after controlling age, sex and years of education.The IMI-SR perceived choice subscore (31.00(28.00, 39.00 vs 36.00(31.00, 42.00), Z=-3.172, P<0.01) were lower, while value/usefulness subscores (41.00(35.00, 45.00) vs 36.00(32.00, 42.00), Z=-3.387, P<0.01) were higher in patients than those in controls, and there was no significant difference between the total score and interest/enjoyment subscore(both P<0.05). In patents, Spearman correlation analysis showed that the RSAS-C and RPAS-C scores were significant negatively correlated with the IMI-SR total scores and interest/enjoyment subscore, perceived choice and value/usefulness(r=-0.193--0.364, all P<0.05), which still existed after controlling age, sex, years of education, course of disease, antipsychotic dose, and scores of PANSS and CDSS.Logistic regression analysis showed that the score of RSAS-C(B=-0.096, 95%CI=0.836-0.998, P=0.025) and perceived choice subscore(B=-0.110, 95%CI=0.823-0.974, P=0.010) had negative effects on the IMI-SR total score.

There is a correlation between anhedonia and intrinsic motivation in patients with schizophrenia, the higher the social anhedonia, the lower the intrinsic motivation to participate in cognitive activities, suggesting that intervention for social anhedonia may have significance in improving the intrinsic motivation of patients with cognitive rehabilitation therapy.

Schizophrenia; Anhedonia; Intrinsic motivation; Correlation