Concomitant psychotropic medications and functional remission in schizophrenia patients

Abstract

Along with the rise of symptomatic and functional remission concepts in schizophrenia, multiple aspects of the disease treatment have been explored in their link to vocational prognosis. Although antipsychotics are the corner stone treatment, monotherapy is seldom. In fact, concomitant psychotropic medications (CPM) use during treatment of schizophrenia has dramatically increased worldwide.

Aim

To examine whether concomitant psychotropic medications use is associated to functional remission in schizophrenia patients.

Methods

A cross-sectional, retrospective and descriptive study was conducted in the psychiatry department “C”, in Razi hospital (Tunis), between October 2014 and March 2015. Sixty patients suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorder (DSM IV-R) were included. Functional status was explored with the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF), the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment scale and the Social Autonomy Scale (EAS). Sociodemographic and therapeutic characteristics have been collected during a semi-structured interview.

Results

Rates of functional remission were respectively: 63.30% at the GAF scale, 48.30% at the SOFAS and 51.70% at the SAS. Antipsychotics were prescribed alone in more than half patients (56.70%), mood stabilizers in 40% and antidepressants in 1.7% of the cases. Benzodiazepines were prescribed in 40% of the patients. There was no association between CPM use and functional remission, using three scales (GAF: P = 0.091; SOFAS = 0.125; EAS = 0.728).

Conclusion

Largely used, concomitant psychotropic medications can increase side effects, cause drug interactions, escalate treatment costs, and lead to non-adherence. That is said, their therapeutic effectiveness should be thoroughly investigated, aiming to recovery not only symptoms control.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.