The side effects of risperidone depot in patients with psychotic disorders

Abstract

Background and aim

A long-acting form of risperidone is now broadly available for the treatment of schizophrenia and closely related psychiatric conditions. It combines the advantage of previously available depot formulations for first-generation drugs with the favorable characteristics of the modern “atypical” antipsychotics, namely higher efficacy in the treatment of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and reduced motor disturbances [1].

Methods

During this study, we observed side effects that appear in patients that are treated with risperidone depot. Patients were observed for a period of 3 months (October–December 2015) and the side effects were evaluated with Glasgow Antipsychotic Side-effect Scale (GASS). The data obtained were analyzed with SPSS, trying to prove the impact of variables such as: gender, age, diagnosis, dose and duration of treatment on the occurrence of side effects.

Results

Through statistical processing, we reached the conclusion that there is a statistically significant correlation between duration of treatment and side effects (P value was 0.0001). Between two variables has a strong positive correlation (Kendall value was 0.766). Has a statistically significant correlation between the drug dose and side effects (P value was 0.026). Between two variables has a moderate positive correlation (Kendall value was 0.504). No statistically significant correlation between these variables: gender-side effects, diagnose-side effects and age-side effects.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.