Therapeutic attitudes and clinical global impression: A 2-year follow-up study of 33 outpatients with a mental disorder in treatment with paliperidone palmitate

Abstract

Introduction

Maintaining antipsychotic therapy in mental disorder is important in preventing relapse, rehospitalization, and suicide. Lack of awareness of illness may be a leading cause for non-adherence. Long-acting depot can prevent non- adherence and thus potentially contribute to better patient outcomes.

Objective

The aim of this prospective, observational, non interventional 2-year-long study is to assess severity and post-intervention changes and attitudes toward medication of a group of patients treated paliperidone palmitate (PP).

Methods

Thirty-three outpatients stabilised with PP during the last 24 months. Inclusion criteria were: patients’ age (> 18 years), a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder stabilised during the last 12 months with PP, without a diagnostics from axis I or II (except for nicotine of caffeine) and able to sign the inform consent. Data collected: general sociodemographic and clinical data (age, sex, level of education, socioeconomic situation, family support, psychiatric diagnosis, years of evolution, use/abuse of substances, treatment, previous and later number of hospitalisations. Evaluations included disease severity (Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) and Drug Attitude Inventory, (DAI)).

Results

Thirty-threeoutpatients were followed during 24 months [mean dose 132,58 (44,4) mg], 75,8% were men, age 45,05 years old, 87,8% with a diagnoses of paranoid schizophrenia. Antipsychotic monotherapy increased over the time with PP. Significant improvements were observed on both Clinical Global Impression and Drug Attitude Inventory. The number of rehospitalizations and mean stays decreased from the beginning until the end of these 24 months.

Conclusions

Our results suggest an improvement in the patient's clinical vision and attitude towards medication with long-acting depot.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.