Antipsychotic treatment: experiences of fully recovered service users

Oral versus long-acting injectable antipsychotics in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: A systematic review of patients' subjective experiences

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders significantly impact daily functioning, with antipsychotic medications regarded as the gold standard treatment. However, their efficacy is often limited by side effects and adherence rates. Understanding patient perspectives and subjective experiences, particularly regarding oral versus long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics, is crucial for improving medication outcomes and patient-tailored treatments. A systematic review of qualitative studies was conducted following the ENTREQ guidelines. Data were extracted from PubMed, Scopus, and PsycInfo, with thematic synthesis used to identify key themes in patient-reported experiences. Thirty-nine studies (1.477 patients) were included and analyzed, revealing three core themes: (1) perception and experience of medication, (2) social dynamics and influence, and (3) trust and communication with healthcare providers. Side effects and lack of information were often mentioned by patients. While LAI antipsychotics were linked to symptom stability and functional improvements, many patients lacked adequate information about their effects, contributing to adherence difficulties. Stigma and negative beliefs were common across both oral and LAI formulations, thus determining significant barriers to medication adherence. This review emphasizes that patients' experiences with antipsychotic medications are shaped by three key factors: the environment, the therapeutic relationship, and the drug itself. Two critical areas warrant particular attention: psychoeducation and stigma. Bridging psychoeducational gaps and addressing stigma could significantly enhance treatment adherence and outcomes. Additionally, greater emphasis on providing comprehensive and accurate information about antipsychotic treatment options is essential to support patient-centred care and informed decision-making.

Making Sense of Recovery From First Psychosis With Antipsychotic Medication: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS

Recovering from a first psychosis is a highly individual process and requires the person to make sense of their experiences. Clinicians, in turn, need to comprehend these first-person perspectives, creating a mutual sense-making dynamic. Antipsychotic medication is a substantial part of psychosis treatment. Providing insight in the lived experience of recovery with antipsychotics could improve the mutual understanding and help bridge the gap between the perspective of the clinician and that of the person recovering from psychosis.

STUDY DESIGN

14 persons in recovery from a first psychosis with the use of antipsychotics were interviewed. Their narratives were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).

STUDY RESULTS

Five overarching themes were found, representing important and meaningful experiences in recovering with antipsychotic medication. Theme 1: antipsychotics as external dampening (4 subthemes); Theme 2: shifting of realities; Theme 3: pace of recovery; Theme 4: antipsychotics' influence on identity; and Theme 5: is it truly the antipsychotics?

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show that recovery from psychosis with antipsychotics is an all-encompassing, multi-faceted, and ambivalent experience. The themes found in this research could inspire clinicians to discuss less obvious aspects of the experience of recovering with antipsychotics. Even more so, paying attention to the first-person perspective could lead to a more thorough understanding and benefit therapeutic relationships.

A qualitative exploration of family members' perspectives on reducing and discontinuing antipsychotic medication

BACKGROUND

Antipsychotics are routinely prescribed to people diagnosed with schizophrenia or psychosis on a long-term basis. Considerable literature explores service users' opinions and experiences of antipsychotics, but studies investigating family members' views are lacking.

AIMS

To explore family members' perspectives on antipsychotics, particularly their views on long-term use, reduction and discontinuation of antipsychotics.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 family members of people experiencing psychosis. Participants were recruited through community support groups and mental health teams. Interviews were analysed thematically.

RESULTS

The majority of family members valued antipsychotic medication primarily in supporting what they saw as a fragile stability in the person they cared for. Their views of medication were ambivalent, combining concerns about adverse effects with a belief in the importance of medication due to fears of relapse. They described a need for constant vigilance in relation to medication to ensure it was taken consistently, and often found changes, particularly reduction in medication difficult to contemplate.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings highlight that family members' attitudes to medication sometimes conflict with those of the people they care for, impacting on their health and the caring relationship. Family members may need more support and could be usefully involved in medication decision-making.

Perspectives of Community Nurses on Treatment Engagement of Persons with Severe Mental Illnesses (PwSMI): A Qualitative Study from South India

Background

There is increasing evidence of the need for treatment engagement between Persons with Severe Mental Illnesses (PwSMIs) and Mental Health Professionals (MHPs). This therapeutic process involves collaborative work between patients and MHPs, which improves the condition. Community nurses are uniquely positioned to facilitate this process as they act as the focal point of interaction between patients and the health system.

Methods

This qualitative study explored the community nurses' experiences in treatment engagement with PwSMI through eight group interviews of 35 community nurses from District Mental Health Programs (DMHPs) across Karnataka (South India) from February 2020 to March 2020. The audio recordings of the interviews were transcribed and coded to arrive at themes and subthemes.

Results

The major themes identified were factors influencing treatment engagement, strategies to tackle treatment nonengagement, and challenges in dealing with nonengagement. The reasons for nonengagement were lack of insight and lack of knowledge of sociocultural, logistic, and treatment-related factors. The DMHP teams contacted patients through phone calls, home visits, and liaisons with health workers and intervened with them through education and depot injections. The major challenges were difficulty conducting home visits, distances, the unavailability of medications, and the need for adequate infrastructure and human resources.

Conclusion

Community nurses address a few factors of nonengagement, such as insight, sociocultural factors, and treatment-related factors. Addressing the systemic challenges and adequate training of nurses in intervening in the dropped-out PwSMIs would help to reduce the treatment gap.

Exploring key determinants of health among individuals with serious mental Illness: qualitative insights from a first episode psychosis cohort, 20 years postdiagnosis

BACKGROUND

Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) are more likely to experience functional decline, low well-being, comorbidities, shorter lifespan, and diminished quality of life than the general population. This qualitative study explores determinants of health that individuals with SMI perceive as important to their health, well-being, and ability to live a meaningful life.

METHOD

We conducted interviews with 13 individuals with early detected first episode psychosis as part of a 20-year follow-up study of a larger cohort. Interview data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Analysis identified two themes comprising eight categories representing determinants of health. The first theme reflected management of mental and physical health. Categories in this theme were: access to mental healthcare adapted to individual needs, strategies during deterioration, use of psychotropic medication, maintenance of physical health and lifestyle. The second theme reflected social health determinants in coping with mental illness and comprised three categories: family and friends, engaging in meaningful hobbies and activities, and the influence of employment on mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals with SMI outlined mental, physical, and social determinants of health that were important for their health, well-being, and ability to live a meaningful life. In future clinical practice, coordinated care addressing the complexity of health determinants will be important.

Antipsychotic-Related Stigma and the Impact on Treatment Choices: A Systematic Review and Framework Synthesis

BACKGROUND

Antipsychotics are a class of medications primarily used to treat individuals with psychotic disorders. They have also been indicated for patients with other psychiatric conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder. Non-adherence is prominent amongst individuals prescribed antipsychotics, with medication-related self-stigma and social stigma identified as major factors. No previous reviews have focused on stigma associated specifically with antipsychotic medication. This systematic literature review aimed to synthesise evidence on the prevalence of stigmatising attitudes and behaviours related to antipsychotic treatment and understand their impact on antipsychotic treatment initiation and continuation.

METHODS

Two independent reviewers screened studies from databases, congress proceedings, ClinicalTrials.gov, and PsychU.org; relevant studies reported quantitative or qualitative data on antipsychotic-related stigma in adults with psychotic disorders, mood disorders, borderline personality disorder or anxiety disorders, or healthcare providers or caregivers of these patients, and any impact on treatment. Framework synthesis facilitated extraction and synthesis of relevant information; quantitative and qualitative data were coded and indexed against a pre-specified thematic framework by two independent reviewers.

RESULTS

Forty-five articles reporting on 40 unique studies were included; 22 reported quantitative data, 16 reported qualitative data, and two reported quantitative and qualitative data relating to antipsychotic-related stigma. Framework synthesis identified four themes: 1) impact of antipsychotic treatment on a) social stigma or b) self-stigma; 2) impact of side effects of antipsychotic treatment on a) social stigma or b) self-stigma; 3) impact of route of administration of antipsychotic treatment on stigma; 4) impact of stigma on the use of antipsychotics.

CONCLUSION

This systematic literature review found that antipsychotic-related social and self-stigma is a factor in non-adherence to antipsychotics. Further research should examine stigma in a wider range of patients and the extent to which clinicians' treatment decisions are impacted by the potential stigma associated with antipsychotic medications.

Cannabidiol (CBD) as a novel treatment in the early phases of psychosis

The pharmacological interventions available for individuals in the early stages of psychosis are extremely limited. For those at clinical high risk for psychosis, there is no licensed treatment available. For those with first-episode psychosis, all licensed antipsychotic medications act via dopamine D₂ receptors. While treatment with antipsychotics is transformative in some patients, in others, it is ineffective. In addition, these medications can often cause adverse effects which make patients reluctant to take them. This is a particular problem in the early phases of psychosis, when patients are being treated for the first time, as unpleasant experiences may colour their future attitude towards treatment. Recent research has suggested that cannabidiol (CBD), a compound found in the Cannabis sativa plant, may have antipsychotic effects and relatively few adverse effects and could therefore be an ideal treatment for the early phases of psychosis, when minimising adverse effects is a clinical priority. In this review, we consider CBD's potential as a treatment in the clinical high risk and first-episode stages of psychosis. First, we describe the limitations of existing treatments at these two stages. We then describe what is known of CBD's mechanisms of action, effectiveness as a treatment for psychosis, adverse effects and acceptability to patients. We discuss how some of the outstanding issues about the utility of CBD in the early phases of psychosis may be resolved through ongoing clinical trials. Finally, we consider the impact of recreational cannabis use and over-the-counter cannabinoids preparations and discuss the potential therapeutic role of other compounds that modulate the endocannabinoid system in psychosis.

Deciding to discontinue prescribed psychotropic medication: A qualitative study of service users' experiences

Many mental health service users decide to discontinue their psychotropic medication at some stage in the treatment process; however, few studies have captured these experiences. This study aimed to explore people's experiences of coming off medication. A qualitative descriptive design and individual interviews with 23 people who experienced coming off medication were employed. COREQ checklist was used. Data were analysed using inductive and deductive approaches and six major themes were developed. Findings suggest that while medication was useful for many in the short-term, the adverse effects had significant impact and contributed to the decision to come off medication. Participants also reported being driven by a questioning of the biomedical model of treatment and the belief that there were other strategies to manage their distress. Mixed experiences of support from healthcare professionals for the medication cessation process were reported. The discontinuation process was often difficult resulting in changes in mood and behaviour which for many culminated in relapse of distress, rehospitalization and return to medication. To support the process of coming off and staying off medication, participants identified a range of useful strategies but particularly highlighted the importance of peer support. Findings from this study demonstrate the importance of mental health nurses having a collaborative discussion with service users which may support safer decision-making and lessen the risk of people discontinuing medication abruptly. Finding also indicates a need for robust studies that develop and test interventions to support people who wish to discontinue psychotropic medications.

Mental health service users experiences of medication discontinuation: a systematic review of qualitative studies

BACKGROUND

The use of psychotropic medication is often the first line of treatment for people with mental distress. However, many service users discontinue their prescribed medication, and little is known about their experiences or the reasons why they choose to stop taking medication.

AIM

The aim of this review is to synthesize research literature focused on the experiences of people who decided to discontinue taking medication for their mental health problem.

METHODS

A systematic review of qualitative studies was conducted. Data bases were searched for qualitative research which explored participants' motivations for discontinuing medication and their experiences of the process.

RESULTS

Six themes were identified: (1) Taking medications: a loss of autonomy, (2) Discontinuing medication: a thought-out process, (3) Factors influencing the decision to discontinue medication, (4) Discontinuing medication: experiences of the process, (5) Outcomes of discontinuing medication, (6) Managing mental distress in the absence of medication.

CONCLUSION

Service providers need to be aware that for some service user's psychotropic medication is not deemed a suitable treatment approach. Those who wish to discontinue medication need to be supported in the context of positive, therapeutic risk where their mental and physical health can be monitored and the likelihood of success increased.

Resisting governance and the production of trust in early psychosis intervention

Trust is vital in mental healthcare where uncertainty and risk prevail and where relationship building is central to effective service delivery. Despite its significance, research on trust, particularly among multi-disciplinary healthcare teams and between service providers and users is limited and explored only tangentially within early psychosis intervention (EPI) programs. An institutional ethnographic approach is used to examine how trust within an EPI setting is produced and operates. Drawing on participant observation, textual analysis of clinic documents and in-depth interviews with 27 participants (staff, young people and family members), our analysis outlines how the clinic manager's and staff's resistance to hospital rulings that impeded EPI policy principles were part of the extended sequence of activities that produced trust. These acts of resistance, alongside the clinic manager's reflective leadership practices, cultivated spaces for staff to take risks, share their ideas and build consensus - culminating in staff-designed protocols that produced trust among one another, and between service providers and young people and their families. Drawing from Brown and Calnan's framework of "vicious" and "virtuous" cycles of (dis)trust, we highlight how management and staff responses to vulnerability and uncertainty generated trust through their communication practices and knowledge sharing. We also suggest that protocols to manage the risk of medication non-adherence and treatment dis-engagement among young people contained regulatory functions, pointing to the complex interplay of trust, control and risk. Study implications suggest shifting the emphasis from risk management and quality governance as an organizing framework in mental health to a framework based on trust.

Young people's experiences with mental health medication: A narrative review of the qualitative literature

Background: With the growing prevalence of mental illness in young people, healthcare professionals require an understanding of the social and psychological implications of medication use in this population.Aim: To characterize the qualitative literature regarding the perceptions and experiences of young people taking medication for mental illness.Methods: A narrative review of qualitative studies involving young people (13-24 years) taking any medication as treatment for a mental illness. The Medication Experience Model guided analysis of quotes related to medication use.Results: Of the 27 included studies, the majority involved participants with depression and utilized interviews. Young people reported a wide range of mental health medication experiences, both negative and positive, which could influence medication acceptance. Lack of autonomy and the influence of family members were challenges faced by this population.Conclusions: Young people reported that medications had affected them in various ways across multiple dimensions. Lack of involvement in decision-making and a loss of autonomy were of particular relevance to young people, issues which should also be of interest to healthcare professionals.

Psychotherapy in Psychosis: Experiences of Fully Recovered Service Users

Background: Despite the evidence of the importance of including service users' views on psychotherapy after psychosis, there is a paucity of research investigating impact on full recovery. Objectives: To explore what fully recovered service users found to be the working ingredients of psychotherapy in the recovery process after psychosis. Materials and Methods: The study was designed as a phenomenological investigation with thematic analysis as the practical tool for analysis. Twenty fully recovered service users were interviewed. Results: Themes: (1) Help with the basics, (2) Having a companion when moving through chaotic turf, (3) Creating a common language, (4) Putting psychosis in brackets and cultivate all that is healthy, and (5) Building a bridge from the psychotic state to the outside world. Conclusion: Therapeutic approaches sensitive to stage specific functional challenges seemed crucial for counteracting social isolation and achieving full recovery. Findings indicate that psychotherapy focusing on early readjustment to everyday activities, to what are perceived as meaningful and recovery-oriented, seems to be what is preferred and called for by service users.

The least worst option: user experiences of antipsychotic medication and lack of involvement in medication decisions in a UK community sample

BACKGROUND

Treatment decision-making that fully involves service users is an aim across medicine, including mental health.

AIM

To explore service users experiences of taking antipsychotic medication for psychotic disorders and their perceptions of decision-making about this.

METHOD

Semi-structured interviews with 20 users of community mental health services, conducted by service user researchers and analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Antipsychotic medication was perceived to have beneficial effects on symptoms and relapse risk, but adverse effects were prominent, including a global state of lethargy and demotivation. Weighing these up, the majority viewed antipsychotics as the least worst option. Participants were split between positions of "willing acceptance", "resigned acceptance" and "non-acceptance" of taking antipsychotics. Many felt their choices about medication were limited, due to the nature of their illness or pressure from other people. They commonly experienced their prescribing psychiatrist as not sufficiently acknowledging the negative impacts of medication on life quality and physical health concerns and described feeling powerless to influence decisions about their medication.

CONCLUSION

The study highlights the complexity of agendas surrounding antipsychotic medication, including the pervasive influence of coercive processes and the challenges of implementing collaborative decision-making for people with serious mental health problems.