Depression has been described in people presenting with first-episode schizophrenia, a group at high relative risk of suicide. This paper reports on a study of a longitudinal cohort of 113 people during an acute relapse & 13 having a first episode. Follow-up occurred at 3 months & at 1 year. Levels of depression were assessed using the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia. The median score was statistically significant higher in the first-episode group both during the acute phase & at 3-month follow-up. At one year, the first-episode group continued to have higher levels of depression than the multiple episode group. In light of the high risk of suicide in this population, recognition & treatment of depression requires greater attention. (34 refs.)