Pharmacological guidelines for schizophrenia: a systematic review and comparison of recommendations for the first episode

A randomized controlled trial of an acceptance-based, insight-inducing medication adherence therapy (AIM-AT) for adults with early-stage psychosis

This study aimed to test the effectiveness of an acceptance-based medication adherence intervention for people with early-stage psychosis. An assessor-blind, three-arm randomized controlled trial design was used. One hundred and twenty-six participants who were adults with ≤3 years of psychosis were recruited from four district Integrated Community Centers for Mental Wellness in Hong Kong. They were randomly assigned to receive a 10-session acceptance-based, insight-inducing medication adherence therapy (AIM-AT) intervention, a conventional psychoeducation group program, or usual treatment (n = 42 per group). Primary outcomes were medication adherence and insight into the illness/treatment. All study outcomes were measured at recruitment and immediately, 6 months, and 12 months post-intervention. Participants in the AIM-AT experienced statistically significant improvements in the primary outcomes (levels of medication adherence and insight into illness/treatment), when compared to those in the other two groups over the 12-month follow-ups. The AIM-AT group also had significantly greater improvements in psychotic symptoms, psychosocial functioning, service satisfaction, length of rehospitalization, and total number of patients hospitalized over the follow-up period. These findings support the effectiveness of the AIM-AT to improve medication adherence, psychosocial health, and service satisfaction in people with early-stage psychosis.

Response rates to sequential trials of antipsychotic medications according to algorithms or treatment guidelines in psychotic disorders. A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

There is a relative lack of research evaluating the outcomes when treatment guidelines or algorithms for psychotic disorders are followed. This systematic review and meta-analysis determined the response rates to antipsychotic medications at different stages of these algorithms and whether these response rates differ in first episode cohorts.

METHODS

Data sources: A systematic search strategy was conducted across four databases PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO (Ovid) and CINAHL. Studies that had sequential trials of different antipsychotic medications were included. A meta-analysis of proportions was performed using random effects models and sub-group analysis in first episode psychosis studies.

RESULTS

Of the 4078 unique articles screened, fourteen articles, from nine unique studies, were eligible and included 2522 participants. The proportion who experienced a response to any antipsychotic in the first stage of an algorithm was 0.53 (95 % C.I.:0.38,0.68) and this decreased to 0.26 (95 % C.I.:0.15,0.39) in the second stage. When clozapine was used in the third stage, the proportion that achieved a response was 0.43 (95 % C.I. 0.19, 0.69) compared to 0.26 (95 % C.I.:0.05,0.54) if a different antipsychotic was used. Four studies included 907 participants with a first episode of psychosis and the proportions that achieved a response were: 1st stage: 0.63 (95 % C.I.: 0.45, 0.79); 2nd stage: 0.34 (95 % C.I.:0.16,0.55); clozapine 3rd stage: 0.45 (95 % C.I.:0.0,0.97), different antipsychotic 3rd stage: 0.15 (95 % C.I.,0.01,0.37).

DISCUSSION

These findings support the recommendation to have a trial of clozapine after two other antipsychotic medications have been found to be ineffective.

Schizophrenia and medication adherence: Associated factors

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia is a chronic condition that requiring maintenance treatment with antipsychotic medication. Medication adherence is essential to improve the symptoms of this health problem reduce relapses and readmissions and achieve treatment goals. The rate of challenges associated with medication adherence in schizophrenia is reported to be 26.5-85.1 %.

PURPOSE

This study was conducted to determine factors associated with medication adherence in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia.

METHODS

A descriptive correlational research design was used. The study was completed with a total of 162 participants diagnosed with schizophrenia, between February-June 2021, at a Community Mental Health Center. Regression analysis (Model: enter and stepwise) was used to determine associated factors.

RESULTS

The mean medication adherence score of individual diagnosed with schizophrenia indicated that more than half of the participants (52 %) had poor medication adherence. In individual diagnosed with schizophrenia, medication attitudes, level of internalized stigma, the status of regular attendance to appointments, belief in recovery, and using medicines as prescribed were complicating factors for medication adherence (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Medication adherence in individuals with diagnosed schizophrenia may be multifactorial. Mental health professionals should consider associated factors and implement a personalized treatment plan in this direction for strengthening adherence to medication treatment.

Safety outcomes of antipsychotics classes in drug-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia: A nationwide cohort study in South Korea

INTRODUCTION

Given the similar efficacies across antipsychotic medications for schizophrenia, understanding their safety profiles, particularly concerning receptor-binding differences, is crucial for optimal drug selection, especially for patients with first episode schizophrenia. We aimed to compare the safety outcomes of second-generation antipsychotics.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study with new user active comparator design using a nationwide claims database in South Korea. Participants were drug-naïve adult patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Three representative drugs with different pharmacologic profiles were compared: risperidone, olanzapine, and aripiprazole. Propensity scores were used to match the study groups, and the Cox proportional hazard model was used to calculate hazard ratios. Sensitivity analyses were performed in various epidemiological settings. Seventeen safety outcomes, including neuropsychiatric, cardiometabolic and gastrointestinal events, were assessed, with upper-respiratory-tract infection as a negative control outcome.

RESULTS

A total of 1044, 2078, and 3634 participants were matched for olanzapine vs. risperidone, olanzapine vs. aripiprazole, and risperidone vs. aripiprazole comparisons, respectively. For parkinsonism, there was a significant difference in outcomes between the risperidone and aripiprazole groups (HR 1.80 [95% CI 1.13-2.91]), with consistent sensitivity analysis results. There were no significant differences in other neuropsychiatry outcomes or in the risk of cardiometabolic and gastrointestinal outcomes between any of the comparative group pairs.

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of drug-induced parkinsonism was significantly higher with risperidone than with aripiprazole. Although olanzapine is known for its metabolic risk, there were no significant differences in risk between the other pairs.

Olanzapine Pharmacokinetics: A Clinical Review of Current Insights and Remaining Questions

Olanzapine is one of the most widely used antipsychotics since its initial approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1996 and has undergone extensive pharmacokinetic study. Despite being utilized in clinical psychiatry for decades, there remain questions regarding the variety of available formulations, the utility of therapeutic drug monitoring, altered kinetic properties in special populations/medical illnesses, the use of high-dose olanzapine, and drug interactions, among many others. We performed a narrative literature review of olanzapine pharmacokinetics in June 2023 using the US National Library of Medicine's PubMed.gov resource (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed) and Google Scholar. Herein, we review clinically relevant aspects of olanzapine pharmacokinetic data while highlighting knowledge gaps and potential areas of future study.

Pharmacist-led medicines optimisation service in an inpatient mental health setting

Medicines optimisation ensures that people get the best possible outcomes from their medicines. As those with severe mental illness (SMI) are frequently prescribed psychotropic medicines with potentially significant side-effects, poor adherence to treatment and physical morbidity are common. This results in suboptimal symptom control, physical health problems and negative health outcomes. The specialist mental health pharmacist (SMHP) is best placed to provide leadership for medicines optimisation in the inpatient mental health setting. By adopting a patient-centred approach to providing information, improving adherence, screening, initiating and maintaining medicines, and supporting self-advocacy, the SMHP can ensure the patients' experience of taking medicines is optimised. As there is currently limited understanding of what a baseline clinical pharmacy service in a mental health setting looks like, we aim to outline a framework for pharmacist-led medicines optimisation for those with SMI. This framework is suitable to be scaled and adapted to other settings.

Effectiveness and Safety of Switching from Oral Antipsychotics to Once-Monthly Paliperidone Palmitate (PP1M) in the Management of Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Considering the improvement in adherence and convenience, once-monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP1M) has been increasingly used in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, the outcomes for patients who switch from oral antipsychotics (OAPs) to PP1M have not been reliably assessed. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the efficacy and safety of PP1M in the management of patients with schizophrenia with a prior history of OAP use.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library on 19 July 2022 to identify eligible studies. All studies that examined the effectiveness and safety of switching from OAPs to PP1M in patients with schizophrenia were included. The primary outcomes were relapse rate, hospitalisation rate, and the change from baseline in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score. The secondary outcomes included the changed number of inpatient visits, changed length of stay hospitalisation, change from baseline in the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity (CGI-S) score and the personal and social performance (PSP) total score, response rate, proportion of treatment discontinuation, and adverse events. We included randomised-controlled trials (RCTs), single-arm studies, and observational studies. Case reports, case series, and reviews were excluded. The quality assessment of included studies was performed using the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials (RoB2), the 9-point Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) instrument for non-randomised studies and cohort studies, and the 12-item National Institutes of Health (NIH) quality assessment tool for before-after (Pre-Post) study without control group. Follow-up times were reported as short- (≤ 13 weeks), medium- (14-26 weeks), and long term (≥ 27 weeks). Data were pooled using meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies with a total of 4740 patients were included. The long-term relapse rates and hospitalisation rates were 12% (95% CI 0.07-0.18) and 18% (95% CI 0.15-0.20), respectively. The short-, medium-, and long-term change in PANSS total score was - 21.69 (95% CI - 30.02 to -13.36), - 14.98 (95% CI - 21.45 to - 8.51) and - 17.88 (95% CI - 31.94 to -3.82), respectively. Approximately 50% of patients reported at least a 30% reduction in the PANSS score at the short-term follow-up. Improvements in CGI-S and PSP score were observed during various periods. There was a reduction in the length of stay hospitalisation and the number of inpatient visits at the medium- and long-term follow-ups. Low discontinuation and adverse event rates were reported.

CONCLUSION

Based on our findings, this study may support the efficacy and safety of switching from OAPs to PP1M for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. Future large-scale studies are warranted to confirm our findings.

Changes in Quality of Life in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia Patients Undergoing Avatar Therapy: A Content Analysis

Avatar Therapy has a significant impact on symptoms, beliefs, and quality of life of patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. However, little is known about how these changes are implemented into their lives and to which aspects of their lives these improvements relate. Ten consecutive patients enrolled in an ongoing clinical trial were assessed using semi-guided interviews before as well as three months after Avatar Therapy. These encounters have been recorded and transcribed so that the discourse could be thoroughly analyzed, leading to the generation of an extensive theme grid. As the cases were analyzed, the grid was adapted in a back-and-forth manner until data saturation occurred. The content analysis allowed the identification of nine main themes representing different aspects of the patients’ lives, each of which was subdivided into more specific codes. By analyzing the evolution of their frequency, it was observed that, following therapy, patients presented with fewer psychotic symptoms, better self-esteem, more hobbies and projects, and an overall improved lifestyle and mood. Finally, investigating the impact of Avatar Therapy on quality of life allows for a deeper understanding of how people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia can achieve meaningful changes and move towards a certain recovery process.

Critical appraisal and comparison of recommendations of clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia in children and adolescents: a methodological survey

INTRODUCTION

The production of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) has grown in the past years. Notwithstanding, the quality of these documents and their recommendations for the treatment of schizophrenia in children and adolescents is still unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the quality of the guidelines and recommendations for the treatment of schizophrenia in this population.

METHODS

CPGs from 2004 to December 2020 were identified through a systematic search on EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Epistemonikos, VHL, Global Index Medicus and specific CPG databases. The CPGs' quality was independently assessed by three reviewers using AGREE II and they were considered of high quality if they scored ≥60% in domains 3 and 6. The evidence classification systems were described, the quality of recommendations was assessed in pairs using AGREE-REX and the recommendations were compared.

RESULTS

The database search retrieved 3182 results; 2030 were screened and 29 were selected for full-text reading. Four guidelines were selected for extraction. Two CPGs were considered of high quality in the AGREE II assessment. We described the commonly agreed recommendations for each treatment phase. The pharmacological recommendations were described in all treatment phases. Scores of AGREE-REX were lower for psychosocial recommendations.

CONCLUSION

There are still few clinical studies and CPGs regarding schizophrenia in children and adolescents. The quality of the documents was overall low, and the quality of the recommendations report has much to improve. There is also a lack of transparency about the quality of the evidence and the strength of the recommendations.

PROTOCOL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020164899.

Severity in schizophrenia patients receiving atypical antipsychotic medications

Atypical antipsychotic drugs are nowadays the mainstay of treatment of schizophrenia due to their lesser extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) as adverse effects. However, these drugs have different profiles of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Here, the objective of this study was to analyze the probability, occurrences, and more significant involvement of various risk factors. A prospective observational study was carried out on a patient with schizophrenia who has prescribed atypical antipsychotic drugs for their treatment. The probability of the ADR was analyzed by using the Naranjo causality assessment scale. While Glasgow antipsychotic Side effect Scale (GASS) was used to estimate the severity of side effects. Statistical software for social science (SPSS) ver 25; was used for different descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis. A total of 140 patients were included in the study of which the majority (58.57 %) was male. However, atypical antipsychotic drugs were primarily prescribed to the patient as mono therapy (81.43 %). Interestingly, COVID-19 infections were reported as positive in 39.29 % of total patients. Probability assessment of ADRs revealed that most (55 %) were "Probable". Subsequently, the GASS score was evaluated for severity, the majority (55.71 %) were reported as "Mild". The statistically significant association between gender and severity of side effects & duration of illness and severity of side effects were found (P>0.5).The Present study aids in knowing the risk factors and improving the management practices of ADR, thereby improving the guidelines in terms of safe clinical approaches for psychiatric patients.

Long-acting Injectable Antipsychotics during the COVID-19 pandemic in schizophrenia: An observational study in a real-world clinical setting

The COVID-19 pandemic is having an important impact on the practice of mental health services and on schizophrenia patients, and heterogeneous and conflicting findings are being reported on the reduction of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics use. Aims of the study were to assess the total number of patients treated with LAI, the start of novel LAI and the discontinuation of LAI treatments, analyzing register data of the first year of the pandemic, 2020, compared to a pre-pandemic reference year, 2019. Data from two outpatient centers were retrieved, for a total of 236 participants in 2020: no significant differences were observed comparing 2020 and 2019 when considering the total number of patients on LAI treatment (p = 0.890) and the number of dropouts (p = 0.262); however, a significant reduction in the start of LAI was observed (p = 0.022). In 2020, second generation LAI were more prescribed than first generation LAI (p = 0.040) while no difference was observed in 2019 (p = 0.191). These findings attest the efficacy of measures adopted in mental health services to face the consequences of COVID-19 and shed further light on the impact of the pandemic on the clinical practice of mental health services and on the continuity of care of people with schizophrenia.

The development and validation of a medicines optimisation tool to protect the physical health of people with severe mental illness (OPTIMISE)

BACKGROUND

The life expectancy of people with severe mental illness (SMI) is shorter than those without SMI, with multimorbidity and poorer physical health contributing to health inequality. Screening tools could potentially assist the optimisation of medicines to protect the physical health of people with SMI. The aim of our research was to design and validate a medicines optimisation tool (OPTIMISE) to help clinicians to optimise physical health in people with SMI.

METHODS

A review of existing published guidelines, PubMed and Medline was carried out. Literature was examined for medicines optimisation recommendations and also for reference to the management of physical illness in people with mental illness. Potential indicators were grouped according to physiological system. A multidisciplinary team with expertise in mental health and the development of screening tools agreed that 83 indicators should be included in the first draft of OPTIMISE. The Delphi consensus technique was used to develop and validate the contents. A 17-member multidisciplinary panel of experts from the UK and Ireland completed 2 rounds of Delphi consensus, rating their level of agreement to 83 prescribing indicators using a 5-point Likert scale. Indicators were accepted for inclusion in the OPTIMISE tool after achieving a median score of 1 or 2, where 1 indicated strongly agree and 2 indicated agree, and 75^th centile value of ≤ 2. Interrater reliability was assessed among 4 clinicians across 20 datasets and the chance corrected level of agreement (kappa) was calculated. The kappa statistic was interpreted as poor if 0.2 or less, fair if 0.21-0.4, moderate if 0.41-0.6, substantial if 0.61-0.8, and good if 0.81-1.0.

RESULTS

Consensus was achieved after 2 rounds of Delphi for 62 prescribing indicators where 53 indicators were accepted after round 1 and a further 9 indicators were accepted after round 2. Interrater reliability of OPTIMISE between physicians and pharmacists indicated a substantial level of agreement with a kappa statistic of 0.75.

CONCLUSIONS

OPTIMISE is a 62 indicator medicines optimisation tool designed to assist decision making in those treating adults with SMI. It was developed using a Delphi consensus methodology and interrater reliability is substantial. OPTIMISE has the potential to improve medicines optimisation by ensuring preventative medicines are considered when clinically indicated. Further research involving the implementation of OPTIMISE is required to demonstrate its true benefit.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This article does not report the results of a health care intervention on human participants.

Optical coherence tomography reveals retinal thinning in schizophrenia spectrum disorders

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) are presumed to be associated with retinal thinning. However, evidence is lacking as to whether these retinal alterations reflect a disease-specific process or are rather a consequence of comorbid diseases or concomitant microvascular impairment.

METHODS

The study included 126 eyes of 65 patients with SSDs and 143 eyes of 72 healthy controls. We examined macula and optic disc measures by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCT-A). Additive mixed models were used to assess the impact of SSDs on retinal thickness and perfusion and to explore the association of retinal and clinical disease-related parameters by controlling for several ocular and systemic covariates (age, sex, spherical equivalent, intraocular pressure, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, smoking status, and OCT signal strength).

RESULTS

OCT revealed significantly lower parafoveal macular, macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL), and macular retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and thinner mean and superior peripapillary RNFL in SSDs. In contrast, the applied OCT-A investigations, which included macular and peripapillary perfusion density, macular vessel density, and size of the foveal avascular zone, did not reveal any significant between-group differences. Finally, a longer duration of illness and higher chlorpromazine equivalent doses were associated with lower parafoveal macular and macular RNFL thickness.

CONCLUSIONS

This study strengthens the evidence for disease-related retinal thinning in SSDs.

Management of schizophrenia in women during the perinatal period: a synthesis of international recommendations

INTRODUCTION

The perinatal period in schizophrenia is associated with high risk of psychotic relapse and pregnancy/child outcomes. The extent to which antipsychotics may potentially affect the fetus or the child development is unclear and debated. Even though guidelines have been developed, there is a lack of consensual recommendations regarding the optimal strategy to manage schizophrenia during the perinatal period.

AREAS COVERED

This systematic review describes the current state of evidence with respect to the impact of recommended interventions for schizophrenia during the perinatal period, including childbearing age, pregnancy and post-partum. It compares recent international treatment guidelines for this specific group of women. Last, this review presents a set of major points to be discussed with patients and relatives for shared-decision making and a summary of key recommendations from the international guidelines.

EXPERT OPINION

Although treatment guidelines may be of significant help, discrepancies exist across them regarding the management of antipsychotics for schizophrenia women during the perinatal period. Shared decision-making and advance directives represent useful patient-centered approaches during this specific period. Further cohort-based evidence is needed to better identify maternal and fetal risks associated to antipsychotic treatment exposure.

Efficacy of long-acting injectable versus oral antipsychotic drugs in early psychosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

Long-acting injectable antipsychotic drugs (LAIs) are often used as an alternative to oral antipsychotics (OAPs) in individuals with psychosis who demonstrate poor medication adherence. Previous meta-analyses have found mixed results on the efficacy of LAIs, compared to OAPs, in patients with psychotic disorders. The objective of this meta-analysis was to compare the effectiveness of using LAIs versus OAPs in the early stages of psychosis.

METHODS

Major electronic databases were used to search for any studies examining the comparative effectiveness (i.e., relapse, adherence, hospitalization, and all-cause discontinuation) of any LAIs versus OAPs in early stages of psychosis. Studies published up to 6 June, 2019 were included and no language restriction was applied. Inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of schizophrenia or related disorder, where patients were in their first episode or had a duration of illness ≤5 years. Data were analysed using a random-effects model.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies (n = 10 584) were included, of which were 7 RCTs, 7 observational studies, and 1 post-hoc analysis. We found that LAIs provided advantages over OAPs in terms of relapse rates. No significant differences were found between LAI and OAP groups in terms of all-cause discontinuation, hospitalization, and adherence rates. However, considering only RCTs revealed advantages of LAIs over OAPs in terms of hospitalization rates.

CONCLUSIONS

LAIs may provide benefits over OAPs with respect to reducing relapse and hospitalization rates in early psychosis patients. There is a need for larger and better-designed studies comparing OAPs and LAIs specifically in early psychosis patients.

Quality prescribing in early psychosis: key pharmacotherapy principles

OBJECTIVE

To present a practical, easy-to-implement clinical framework designed to support evidence-based quality prescribing for people with early psychosis.

METHOD

Identification and explanation of key principles relating to evidence-based pharmacotherapy for people with early psychosis. These were derived from the literature, practice guidelines and clinical experience.

RESULTS

Key principles include (1) medication choice informed by adverse effects; (2) metabolic monitoring at baseline and at regular intervals; (3) comprehensive and regular medication risk-benefit assessment and psychoeducation; (4) early consideration of long-acting injectable formulations (preferably driven by informed patient choice); (5) identification and treatment of comorbid mood disorders and (6) early consideration of clozapine when treatment refractory criteria are met.

CONCLUSIONS

Current prescribing practices do not align with the well-established evidence for quality pharmacotherapy in early psychosis. Adopting evidence-based prescribing practices for people with early psychosis will improve outcomes.

Increased risk of death compared to other antipsychotics in elderly clozapine users in Poland

Clozapine can cause severe adverse effects. Few epidemiologic studies have considered the effect of clozapine use in elderly patients. The aim of this study was to assess mortality in elderly patients treated with clozapine in comparison to patients treated with first- or second-generation antipsychotics. We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 26 639 patients who were 65 years of age or older and were receiving antipsychotic medication between 2008 and 2012. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to compare the risk of death between different groups of antipsychotics after controlling for age, sex, concomitant treatment with cardiovascular or metabolic medications. The use of antipsychotic medications other than clozapine was associated with a lower adjusted risk of death [hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.79-0.99]. The use of cardiac and antilipemic but not antidiabetic drugs was associated with a significantly lower risk of death in this population (hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.83-0.93; hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.58-0.75 and hazarad ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.96-1.24, respectively). These results suggest that clozapine is associated with an increased risk of death in the elderly. Although the study was based on administrative records linkage, its results suggest that attention should be paid to patients taking antipsychotics.

Long-acting injectable antipsychotics for early psychosis: A comprehensive systematic review

AIM

Long acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics are an alternative to oral antipsychotic (OAP) treatment and may be beneficial for patients in the early stages of schizophrenia. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review on the efficacy of first-generation and second-generation LAI antipsychotics in recent-onset, first-episode, and early psychosis patients.

METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science Core databases were used to search for studies that used LAIs in early psychosis patients. Studies published up to 06 Jun 2019 were included with no language restrictions applied. Inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of schizophrenia or related disorder, where patients were in their first episode or had a duration of illness ≤5 years.

RESULTS

33 studies were included: 8 RCTs, 4 post-hoc analyses, 2 case reports, and 19 naturalistic studies. The majority of studies evaluated risperidone LAIs (N = 14) and paliperidone palmitate (N = 10), while the remainder investigated fluphenazine decanoate (N = 3), flupentixol decanoate (N = 2), and aripiprazole (N = 1). Two studies did not specify the LAI formulation used, and one cohort study compared the efficacy of multiple different LAI formulations.

CONCLUSIONS

While the majority of data is based on naturalistic studies investigating risperidone LAIs or paliperidone palmitate, LAIs may be an effective treatment for early psychosis patients in terms of adherence, relapse reduction, and symptom improvements. There is still a need to conduct more high quality RCTs that investigate the efficacy of different LAI formulations in early psychosis patients.

A dissemination and education programme to improve the clinical behaviours of psychiatrists in accordance with treatment guidelines for schizophrenia and major depressive disorders: the Effectiveness of Guidelines for Dissemination and Education in Psychiatric Treatment (EGUIDE) project

BACKGROUND

Clinical practice guidelines for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder have been published. However, these have not had sufficient penetration in clinical settings. We developed the Effectiveness of Guidelines for Dissemination and Education in Psychiatric Treatment (EGUIDE) project as a dissemination and education programme for psychiatrists.

AIMS

The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the EGUIDE project on the subjective clinical behaviour of psychiatrists in accordance with clinical practice guidelines before and 1 and 2 years after participation in the programmes.

METHOD

A total of 607 psychiatrists participated in this study during October 2016 and March 2019. They attended both 1-day educational programmes based on the clinical practice guidelines for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder, and answered web questionnaires about their clinical behaviours before and 1 and 2 years after attending the programmes. We evaluated the changes in clinical behaviours in accordance with the clinical practice guidelines between before and 2 years after the programme.

RESULTS

All of the scores for clinical behaviours in accordance with clinical practice guidelines were significantly improved after 1 and 2 years compared with before attending the programmes. There were no significant changes in any of the scores between 1 and 2 years after attending.

CONCLUSIONS

All clinical behaviours in accordance with clinical practice guidelines improved after attending the EGUIDE programme, and were maintained for at least 2 years. The EGUIDE project could contribute to improved guideline-based clinical behaviour among psychiatrists.

Real-world effectiveness of antipsychotic doses for relapse prevention in patients with first-episode schizophrenia in Finland: a nationwide, register-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Antipsychotic doses for relapse prevention in patients with first-episode schizophrenia that have the highest likelihood of success are unknown. We aimed to study the evolution of antipsychotic dose and risk of severe relapse indicated by psychiatric rehospitalisation associated with antipsychotic use and specific dose categories.

METHODS

We did a nationwide, register-based cohort study in Finland. Patients were identified from the nationwide Hospital Discharge register, which records all inpatient hospital stays. Patients with first-episode schizophrenia diagnosed as inpatients and who were 45 years or younger were followed-up for 5 years of illness or until a fifth relapse episode. The primary measure was rehospitalisation due to psychosis, which was used as a marker of relapse and defined as inpatient hospital care with an ICD-10 code of F20-F29 diagnosis recorded as the main discharge diagnosis. Time between relapses was required to be at least 30 days to be considered a next relapse. Antipsychotic use was derived from the prescription register. Dose was summed from all concomitant antipsychotics. Antipsychotic effectiveness for preventing rehospitalisation was studied using within-individual analyses to eliminate selection bias, stratifying time to before and after the second relapse.

FINDINGS

In total, the study population comprised 5367 patients, of whom 3444 (64·2%) were men and 1923 (35·8%) were women, with a mean age of 29·5 years (SD 7·8) at the start of follow-up. Ethnicity data were not available. 3058 (57·0%) of 5367 patients required hospitalisations. In these patients, the mean dose increased gradually after each new relapse from 1·22 defined daily doses per day (95% CI 1·18-1·26) before the first relapse to 1·56 defined daily doses per day (1·48-1·64) before the fifth relapse. Adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for rehospitalisation with antipsychotic use versus non-use increased from 0·42 (95% CI 0·35-0·51) before the second relapse to 0·78 (0·62-0·99) after the second relapse (p<0·0001), indicating markedly decreased effectiveness. Analysing specific dose categories revealed a U-shaped curve, showing the lowest rehospitalisation risk during use of the standard dose (0·9 to <1·1 defined daily doses per day) before but not after the second relapse. Low dose (<0·6 defined daily doses per day) was associated with substantially higher rehospitalisation risk (aHR 1·54 [95% CI 1·06-2·24]) versus standard dose before the second relapse, but not after the second relapse (1·11 [0·76-1·62]), owing to reduced effectiveness of all doses after the second relapse.

INTERPRETATION

The effectiveness of antipsychotics for relapse prevention decreased substantially after the second relapse. Therefore, prevention of the second relapse is essential, and all patients should receive sufficient antipsychotic doses and enhanced relapse prevention efforts after their first relapse.

FUNDING

Academy of Finland and Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

Olanzapine-samidorphan combination tablets for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder - what is it, and will it be used?

INTRODUCTION

: Although olanzapine remains one of the most efficacious antipsychotic medications for the treatment of schizophrenia, there are significant tolerability concerns related to its weight and metabolic profile. Olanzapine-samidorphan combination tablets (OLZ/SAM), branded as Lybalvi, is a newly FDA approved formulation aimed at attenuating antipsychotic induced weight gain via modulation of the endogenous opioid system with samidorphan, while retaining the robust antipsychotic efficacy of olanzapine.

AREAS COVERED

: We reviewed the published literature of OLZ/SAM for the management of schizophrenia using the US National Library of Medicine's PubMed.gov resource. Topics covered in this narrative review include the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, tolerability, and efficacy of OLZ/SAM.

EXPERT OPINION

: OLZ/SAM is an effective and well tolerated pharmacologic option in mitigating olanzapine induced weight gain while retaining olanzapine's efficacy. It has a limited effect on metabolic laboratory parameters and cumulatively tends to limit weight gain rather than promote weight loss. Additional research will be needed to determine its effectiveness compared to alternative strategies to attenuate antipsychotic induced weight gain.

Use of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics in Inpatients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder in an Academic Psychiatric Hospital in Switzerland

Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) offer many benefits to patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD). They are used with very different frequencies due to questions of eligibility or patients and prescribers’ attitudes towards LAI use. We assessed the prescribing rates of LAIs in a large academic psychiatric hospital with a public service mandate in Switzerland and compared them with other countries and health care systems. To our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate inpatient LAI use in Europe. Medical records of all patients diagnosed with SSD discharged from the Clinic of Adult Psychiatry of the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich over a 12 month period from January to December 2019 were evaluated regarding the prescribed antipsychotics at the time of discharge. The rates of use of LAIs among all patients and among patients receiving LAI-eligible antipsychotic substances were assessed retrospectively. We assessed records of 885 patients with SSD. Among all cases, 13.9% received an LAI. Among patients who received antipsychotic medication that was eligible for LAI use (n = 434), 28.1% received an agent as an LAI. LAI use included paliperidone palmitate (69.9%), aripiprazole monohydrate (14.6%), risperidone (4.9%) and first-generation LAIs (9.8%). Compared to international frequencies of LAI administration, the prescription rate of LAIs in SSD patients was low. Further studies will evaluate patient- and prescriber-related reasons for this low rate.

Patient Journey of Veterans with Schizophrenia: An Analysis of Treatment Patterns, Healthcare Resource Utilization and Costs

INTRODUCTION

Little is known about the burden of schizophrenia among United States veterans early after diagnosis. This retrospective study describes treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and healthcare costs among veterans with a recent schizophrenia diagnosis.

METHODS

Adults with a schizophrenia diagnosis recorded between 1 April 2014 and 31 December 2017 and no history of schizophrenia over the preceding 12 months were identified from a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) database. Continuous enrollment in the VHA was required for ≥ 12 months before and after the index date when the first schizophrenia diagnosis code was identified. Baseline characteristics and follow-up treatment patterns, HRU and costs were examined descriptively.

RESULTS

The study population (20,389 patients) had a high baseline mental health comorbidity burden. Despite a schizophrenia diagnosis, 32.1% of patients received no antipsychotic medication during the follow-up period. Among those with ≥ 1 antipsychotic prescription fill, 64.0% received ≥ 1 oral antipsychotic (OAP) therapy and 11.6% received ≥ 1 long-acting injectable (LAI). A delay was observed between diagnosis and treatment for both OAPs (39.0 ± 67.2 days) and LAIs (69.4 ± 96.2 days). Adherence to therapy (defined as proportion of days covered ≥ 80%) was greater with LAIs (34.5%) vs OAPs (27.3%). Inpatient stays were reported for 33.8% of patients during the 12-month follow-up period, and 5.5% of patients had readmissions. All-cause inpatient stay costs with 12-month follow-up equaled $7999 per patient per year.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that pharmacotherapy after a recent diagnosis of schizophrenia in the VHA system is suboptimal, and that these patients face a considerable burden in terms of hospitalization, other HRU, and healthcare costs.

Medication strategies in first episode psychosis patients: A survey among psychiatrists

AIM

There is an ongoing debate regarding the optimal timing of discontinuation of antipsychotic drugs for patients with first episode psychosis. Although most guidelines recommend maintenance therapy for at least 1 or 2 years after reaching remission, study results indicate that early discontinuation may be beneficial for at least a subsample of patients. To date, little is known about which medication strategies are applied in patients recovering from a first psychotic episode. In this study, we examined the beliefs and practices of clinicians on medication discontinuation.

METHODS

We performed a survey among 50 experienced Dutch psychiatrists to assess how often specific treatment strategies have been applied in the past 12 months, as well as their knowledge and expectations with respect to medication discontinuation.

RESULTS

Psychiatrists estimated that, after remission, they continued medication at the same dose for at least 12 months in 51.2% of cases, continued in a reduced dose in 33.8% of cases and discontinued medication in 9.1% of cases after 4.4 months of remission on average. Although the medication is discontinued in only a relatively small proportion of patients, almost half of all clinicians (45.9%) used this strategy at least once in the past 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

There is substantial practice variation in antipsychotic medication strategies after remission from a first psychotic episode. Future research on long-term effects of early medication discontinuation can guide clinicians in making evidence-based decisions when treating first-episode patients.

Patterns of Care for Adolescent With Schizophrenia: A Delphi-Based Consensus Study

BACKGROUND

The current conceptualization of schizophrenia as neurodevelopmental disorder should lead to innovative public health policies in terms of a reorganization of the mental health care systems, particularly in the transition from adolescence to adulthood, to reduce personal, familiar, and social costs and burdens. The purpose of the project was to perform a survey among a panel of Italian schizophrenia experts, to share evidence-based information on adolescent schizophrenia and explore the degree of consensus among professionals in the following four macro-areas: early diagnosis; pharmacological treatment; health care system organization and transition process from adolescent to adulthood; and psychosocial interventions.

METHODS

The consensus process consisted of a two-step web-based Delphi method, which took place between June and November 2021. The survey was developed by a panel of four psychiatrists and four child neuropsychiatrists, identified as key opinion leaders (KOLs). The KOLs identified 21 statements involving a total of 70 items with a major need of clarification on early-onset schizophrenia (EOS). The survey was distributed to 86 specialists in psychiatry and child neuropsychiatry.

RESULTS

The results revealed a large agreement among the expert group on all the investigated areas of adolescent schizophrenia patterns of care and management. Consensus was ultimately reached for 67 items of the Delphi survey (95.7%), while negative consensus was reached for 2 items and no consensus was reached for 1 item.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, results showed a significant gap between the acquired scientific knowledge and clinical practice. In this scenario, it should be necessary to plan specific initiatives at a multiple level, to edit recommendations on clinical decision-making, as well as to prompt changes at the political and organizational levels, also involving scientific societies, patients, and family associations, to overcome the barriers that delay the implementation process.

Cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities in first- and multi-episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: impact of clinical and demographical variables

Multiple lines of evidence indicate that immunological and inflammatory alterations contribute at least in a subgroup to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In this retrospective chart review, we investigated whether clinical factors contribute to altered cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Clinical data from electronic medical records of patients with psychotic disorders (ICD-10: F20-F29) who received routine CSF diagnostics at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU Munich, Germany, were included. Chi² tests for dichotomous outcomes and independent t tests for continuous outcomes were used to compare differences between groups. A total of 331 patients were included in the analyses (43.2% female and 56.8% male). The mean age was 37.67 years (±15.58). The mean duration of illness was 71.96 months (±102.59). In all, 40% (128/320) were first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients and 60% (192/320) were multi-episode psychosis (MEP) patients. Elevated CSF protein levels were found in 19.8% and elevated CSF/serum albumin ratios (QAlb) in 29.4% of the cases. Pleocytosis was found in 6.1% of patients. MEP patients showed significantly higher mean QAlb compared with FEP patients (t(304.57) = -2.75, p = 0.006), which did not remain significant after correcting for age. QAlb elevation occurred more frequently in men (X2(1) = 14.76, p = <0.001). For treatment resistance, family history, and cMRI alterations, no significant differences in CSF-related outcomes were detected. Our work extends other retrospective cohorts confirming a relevant degree of CSF alterations in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and shows the difficulty to relate these alterations to clinical and disease course trajectories. More research is needed to develop treatment response predictors from CSF analyses.

Early intervention services, patterns of prescription and rates of discontinuation of antipsychotic treatment in first-episode psychosis

AIMS

Non-compliance is still an important problem in psychotic patients. Although antipsychotic (AP) treatment leads to a decrease in psychotic relapses, there are no clear recommendations about how long treatment should be maintained after first-episode psychosis (FEP) and no indication of the rates and causes of treatment withdrawal in this group.

METHODS

We evaluated a large sample of patients with FEP for 2 years to compare the time to all-cause treatment discontinuation of AP drugs and the time to the first relapse. We collected the sociodemographic and psychopathological characteristics of the sample. The number of relapses was also recorded.

RESULTS

A total of 310 FEP patients were assessed across seven early intervention teams (mean age = 30.2 years; SD = 11.2). The most prevalent diagnosis at baseline was psychotic disorder not otherwise specified (36.1%), and the most commonly used APs were risperidone (26.5%) and olanzapine (18.7%). A lack of efficacy was the most frequent reason for the withdrawal of the first AP prescribed, followed by non-compliance. There were no differences in the relapse rates between different APs. Patients treated with long-acting injectable (LAI) APs presented less disengagement from services than patients treated with oral APs.

CONCLUSIONS

Although there were no differences between the different APs in terms of relapse rates, LAIs had higher retention rates than oral APs in early intervention services. Compliance is still an important issue in Psychiatry, so clinicians should use different strategies to encourage it, such as the use of LAI treatments.

Antipsychotic treatment strategies for acute phase and treatment resistance in schizophrenia: A systematic review of the guidelines and algorithms

BACKGROUND

To summarize the current state of knowledge on antipsychotic treatment strategies for the acute phase and treatment resistance in schizophrenia, we conducted a systematic review of guidelines and algorithms.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature search to identify clinical guidelines and algorithms on this topic using MEDLINE and Embase. We extracted information on recommendations for antipsychotic treatment strategies, including those for non-response (i.e., increasing antipsychotic dose and switching to another antipsychotic) and treatment resistance.

RESULTS

We identified a total of 17 guidelines/algorithms in various countries that were published after 2011. With respect to antipsychotic dose, most of the guidelines (N = 10/11) agreed starting with a low dose or the lowest licensed/effective dose and then titrating the dose upwards. Regarding antipsychotic treatment strategies for non-response, all of the guidelines (N = 9/9) recommended increasing antipsychotic dose towards the upper end of its approved dose range. Five guidelines suggested for increasing beyond the therapeutic dose range in exceptional cases, while overall 10 guidelines including them were negative about such strategy. The vast majority of guidelines (N = 16/17) recommended switching to another antipsychotic for non-response; however, some guidelines mentioned the lack of evidence for these strategies other than the use of clozapine. All the guidelines (N = 17/17) endorsed initiating clozapine after failure to respond to 2 different antipsychotics. Four guidelines endorsed an early use of clozapine, yet as the third antipsychotic.

CONCLUSION

The currently available guidelines and algorithms recommended increasing antipsychotic dose and switching to another antipsychotic, particularly clozapine for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, during the acute phase of schizophrenia for non-response.

Treatment Guidelines for PTSD: A Systematic Review

Background: The aim of this review was to assess the quality of international treatment guidelines for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and identify differences between guideline recommendations, with a focus on the treatment of nightmares. Methods: Guidelines were identified through electronic searches of MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, Embase and Science Direct, as well as web-based searches of international guideline repositories, websites of psychiatric organisations and targeted web-searches for guidelines from the three most populous English-speaking countries in each continent. Data in relation to recommendations were extracted and the AGREE II criteria were applied to assess for quality. Results: Fourteen guidelines, published between 2004–2020, were identified for inclusion in this review. Only five were less than 5 years old. Three guidelines scored highly across all AGREE II domains, while others varied between domains. Most guidelines consider both psychological and pharmacological therapies as first-line in PTSD. All but one guideline recommended cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as first-line psychological treatment, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as first-line pharmacological treatment. Most guidelines do not mention the targeted treatment of nightmares as a symptom of PTSD. Prazosin is discussed in several guidelines for the treatment of nightmares, but recommendations vary widely. Most PTSD guidelines were deemed to be of good quality; however, many could be considered out of date. Recommendations for core PTSD symptoms do not differ greatly between guidelines. However, despite the availability of targeted treatments for nightmares, most guidelines do not adequately address this. Conclusions: Guidelines need to be kept current to maintain clinical utility. Improvements are most needed in the AGREE II key domains of ‘applicability’, ‘rigour of development’ and ‘stakeholder involvement’. Due to the treatment-resistant nature of nightmares, guideline development groups should consider producing more detailed recommendations for their targeted treatment. More high-quality trials are also required to provide a solid foundation for making these clinical recommendations for the management of nightmares in PTSD.

Treatment strategies in management of schizophrenia patients with persistent symptoms in daily practice: a retrospective study

OBJECTIVES

One-third of the patients with schizophrenia show treatment resistance and literature on the effectiveness of interventions in patients with persistent symptoms is conflicting. This study aimed to assess clinical preferences of clinicians in those showing treatment resistance to antipsychotics and to determine correlates of interventions.

METHODS

Treatment strategies applied in the patients with schizophrenia in daily practice were inquired retrospectively. Those showing poor response to at least two antipsychotics and were administered a clinical intervention in a University Hospital between January and September 2018 were included. Clinical correlates of distinct interventions were evaluated.

RESULTS

The most common intervention (47%) was transition to a long-acting injectable antipsychotic (LAIA) and the second most common (22%) was addition of a second/third oral drug to on-going oral therapy. Switching to clozapine was more effective on positive symptoms comparing with the other interventions (p < 0.01). LAIA therapy showed a superiority over oral antipsychotic interventions at improving positive symptoms, except clozapine (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

LAIA administration and oral antipsychotic augmentation were the most common interventions in the patients with persistent symptoms. Clozapine was related to better clinical improvement in the present study and it might be administered as a second-line treatment in schizophrenia.Key pointsEffectiveness of the treatment strategies in schizophrenia patients with persistent symptoms is not satisfactory to meet expectations of the clinicians yet. Clozapine still seems to be the best option to provide a favourable improvement in TRS.LAIA and oral AP combination are used frequently in schizophrenia for persistent psychotic symptoms and targets of the combination therapies in daily practice needs to be clarified.The most common intervention was transition to a LAIA (47%) in the study and none of the patients administered LAIA had used a long-acting AP before the intervention. High rate of treatment nonadherence in schizophrenia is an important reason for common LAIA preference in the patients with persistent symptoms.Growing evidence indicates that clozapine can be used as a second-line treatment in schizophrenia, and thus, there is an urgent need to increase clozapine use in the patients with persistent symptoms in clinical practice.

A Program to Increase the Appropriate Use of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotic Medications in Community Settings

OBJECTIVE

The Multilevel Facilitation of Long-Acting Antipsychotic Medication Program (MAP) is a novel intervention to increase the appropriate use of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics in community mental health clinics. The authors investigated the feasibility of MAP, facilitators and barriers to use, and preliminary impact on LAI medication use.

METHODS

Two clinics in Texas and two in Ohio serving 750 and 617 individuals with schizophrenia receiving oral antipsychotics, respectively, were asked to change clinical procedures for 1 year by using either the not receiving optimum benefit (NOB) checklist or the checklist plus MAP. Providers used the NOB checklist to identify individuals who could benefit from switching to LAI antipsychotics. MAP clinics used the NOB checklist plus nonbranded academic detailing for providers and a shared-decision-making video and tool for consumers. Use of MAP components was tracked, and barriers and facilitators were collected quarterly. Antipsychotic prescription counts were provided by participating clinics.

RESULTS

Barriers to use of MAP included loss of local champions and administrators, difficulty with provider buy-in, limited availability of peer specialists, and a lack of infrastructural support to integrate MAP into clinic flow. Higher scores on the NOB checklist were associated with more provider LAI medication offers and greater patient acceptance of LAI antipsychotics. LAI medication use increased in clinics over time, but it is unclear whether this increase was due to MAP.

CONCLUSIONS

Changing MAP components to fit local procedures and to circumvent unique barriers could aid implementation. Further research should investigate the potential impact of MAP components on LAI medication use.

Patterns of antipsychotic prescriptions in patients with schizophrenia in China: A national survey

INTRODUCTION

To investigate the patterns and correlates of antipsychotic prescriptions among recently discharged inpatients with schizophrenia in China.

METHODS

The study included discharged patients from 41 tertiary psychiatric hospitals in 29 provinces between March 19-30, 2019. A total of 1032 inpatients with schizophrenia were included. Socio-demographic and clinical data were retrieved from medical records upon discharge.

RESULTS

Patients received a total of 13 unique antipsychotic medications, which included 9 s-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) and 4 first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs). The utilization rates of SGAs and FGAs were 98.8 % and 6.1 % respectively. The three most commonly antipsychotic medications were risperidone (35.1 %), olanzapine (31.3 %), and clozapine (24.6 %). The mean chlorpromazine equivalent dose was 452.12 ± 230.74 mg/day. The utilization rate of mood stabilizers was 18.9 %, 8.8 % for antidepressants, 20.3 % for sleep improvers, and 9.9 % for anticholinergics. More than two fifths patients (43.1 %) received two or more antipsychotic medications. Predictors of antipsychotic polypharmacy included younger age, residing in Central or West China, a longer duration of illness, a history of prior hospitalizations, and having agitated behavior during the hospitalization.

CONCLUSION

Antipsychotic polypharmacy in China is common on inpatients settings. The proportion of antipsychotic polypharmacy in China is higher than in many other countries, despite limited data to support the efficacy of many combinations. Clozapine remains one of most commonly prescribed antipsychotics in China, either as a monotherapy or combination therapy.

First-Episode Psychosis and the Role of the Psychiatric Consultant

OBJECTIVE

Timely recognition and treatment of first-episode psychosis (FEP) is paramount. Studies suggest a significant relationship between longer duration of untreated psychosis and poorer functional outcomes. Limited data exist that characterize how treatment for FEP is initiated by consultation-liaison psychiatric services. We conducted a systematic review of FEP treatment by a consultation-liaison service at a large academic medical tertiary care. Approach to care was reviewed including recommendations for clinical assessment and management.

METHODS

Psychiatric consultations performed at a tertiary academic center were reviewed to identify potential FEP cases during a 12-month period. Patients of ages 15-49 years, for whom the diagnostic assessment was concerning for possible FEP, were included. Demographic features and management were summarized.

RESULTS

A total of 3365 new psychiatric consults were conducted during our study period. Of these, 28 were identified as having symptoms consistent with possible FEP (0.83% of total sample). However, only 12% were referred to coordinated specialty care for psychosis after discharge from an inpatient medical or psychiatric hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our systemic chart review indicate that workup, management, and disposition recommendations for FEP patients seen by consultation-liaison services are variable, suggesting a need for a standardized, evidence-based approach in the medical setting.

Situational analysis of prevailing practices in the management of first-episode psychosis in Chennai, India

AIM

This paper aims to examine how existing mental health within the city of Chennai, India manages first-episode psychosis, to determine lacunae and barriers in providing effective early intervention and to make appropriate recommendations to improve the care of first-episode psychosis patients.

METHODS

Interviews were held with 15 health professionals to capture information on current practices and facilities available for the management of first-episode psychosis.

RESULTS

No specialized clinic or services were available for individuals with first-episode psychosis in Chennai, except one. Pharmacotherapy was the main treatment modality with psychological support to patients and families. Most common drugs used were Risperidone, Olanzapine, and Haloperidol in their recommended doses. General practitioners and paediatricians, due to inadequate training in mental health, referred patients with psychosis to mental health professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

Equipping the existing mental health services to manage FEP and training all health professionals on psychosis will improve FEP management in Chennai.

Comparison of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics With Oral Antipsychotics and Suicide and All-Cause Mortality in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Schizophrenia

IMPORTANCE

Schizophrenia is generally considered to be among the most severe psychiatric disorders because of the excessive mortality associated with it. Research to find means to reduce this excessive mortality is warranted.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate associations of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) with all-cause, natural-cause, and suicide mortality risks as well as the impacts of early use of LAIs in patients with newly diagnosed schizophrenia.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cohort study used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to construct a population-based cohort of patients with schizophrenia who received oral antipsychotics (OAPs) from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2017. Within this cohort, the LAI group was defined as patients who switched to LAIs and were prescribed LAIs at least 4 times within 1 year. The LAI group was propensity matched 1:1 to patients who continued receiving OAPs of the same compounds. All patients were followed up until switching the antipsychotic administration route, death, or the end of the study (December 31, 2018), whichever occurred first. Data analysis was performed from January 2002 to December 2018.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

All-cause mortality, natural-cause mortality, suicide mortality, and suicide attempts.

RESULTS

In total, 2614 patients who switched to LAIs (median [interquartile range] {IQR} age, 30 [23-39] years) and 2614 who received OAPs (median [IQR] age, 30 [23-39] years) were included (1333 male patients [51.0%] in each group). During the 16-year follow-up period (median [IQR] follow-up of 14 [10-17] years), patients who switched to LAIs had lower risks of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.66; 95% CI, 0.54-0.81), natural-cause mortality (aHR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.52-0.76), and suicide attempts (incidence rate ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.55-0.93) compared with patients who received the corresponding OAPs. A 47% lower suicide mortality risk (aHR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.30-0.92) was observed in patients who switched to LAIs within the first 2 years of OAP initiation.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

These findings suggest that LAI use in patients with newly diagnosed schizophrenia is associated with decreased all-cause mortality and suicide risk. Furthermore, early treatment with LAIs within the first 2 years of OAP initiation was associated with a decrease in suicide mortality risk. Thus, LAI use in the early stage of treatment should be actively considered for patients with newly diagnosed schizophrenia.

Scope, quality and inclusivity of international clinical guidelines on mental health and substance abuse in relation to dual diagnosis, social and community outcomes: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

It is estimated that up to 75% of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) also have substance use disorder (SUD). The aim of this systematic review was to explore the scope, quality and inclusivity of international clinical guidelines on mental health and/or substance abuse in relation to diagnosis and treatment of co-existing disorders and considerations for wider social and contextual factors in treatment recommendations.

METHOD

A protocol (PROSPERO CRD42020187094) driven systematic review was conducted. A systematic search was undertaken using six databases including MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PsychInfo from 2010 till June 2020; and webpages of guideline bodies and professional societies. Guideline quality was assessed based on 'Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II' (AGREE II) tool. Data was extracted using a pre-piloted structured data extraction form and synthesized narratively. Reporting was based on PRISMA guideline.

RESULT

A total of 12,644 records were identified. Of these, 21 guidelines were included in this review. Three of the included guidelines were related to coexisting disorders, 11 related to SMI, and 7 guidelines were related to SUD. Seven (out of 18) single disorder guidelines did not adequately recommend the importance of diagnosis or treatment of concurrent disorders despite their high co-prevalence. The majority of the guidelines (n = 15) lacked recommendations for medicines optimisation in accordance with concurrent disorders (SMI or SUD) such as in the context of drug interactions. Social cause and consequence of dual diagnosis such as homelessness and safeguarding and associated referral pathways were sparsely mentioned.

CONCLUSION

Despite very high co-prevalence, clinical guidelines for SUD or SMI tend to have limited considerations for coexisting disorders in diagnosis, treatment and management. There is a need to improve the scope, quality and inclusivity of guidelines to offer person-centred and integrated care.

The usefulness of Olanzapine plasma concentrations in monitoring treatment efficacy and metabolic disturbances in first-episode psychosis

INTRODUCTION

The role of Olanzapine therapeutic drug monitoring is controversial. The present study explores the associations of Olanzapine plasma concentrations with clinical response and metabolic side effects in first episode psychosis (FEP) after 2 months of treatment.

METHODS

Forty-seven patients were included. Improvement in clinical symptomatology was assessed using the PANSS. Metabolic assessment included weight, blood pressure, waist circumference, blood glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides.

RESULTS

The Olanzapine plasma concentrations after 2 months of treatment were positively correlated with weight gain (r = 0.49, p = 0.003), and a concentration > 23.28 ng/mL was identified as a positive predictor of weight gain (≥ 7%). The Olanzapine concentration to dose (C/D) ratio was positively correlated with the percentage of improvement in the total PANSS (r = 0.46, p = 0.004), and a C/D ratio > 2.12 was identified as a positive predictor of a good response (percentage of improvement > 30%) after 2 months of treatment. We also identified several factors that could alter Olanzapine pharmacokinetics: gender (p = 0.03), diagnosis (p = 0.05), smoking habit (p = 0.05), and co-medications such as valproic acid (p = 0.05) and anxiolytics (p = 0.01).

DISCUSSION

In conclusion, our results suggest that therapeutic drug monitoring of Olanzapine could be helpful to evaluate therapeutic efficacy and metabolic dysfunction in FEP patients treated with Olanzapine.

Use of the ADAPTE method to develop a clinical guideline for the improvement of psychoses and schizophrenia care: Example of involvement and participation of patients and family caregivers

Introduction

The aim of this study is to analyse different ways of participation during the development of a clinical guideline to improve the early detection of psychosis and to deploy a comprehensive treatment plan to improve prognosis and social integration.

Materials and method

The clinical guideline was developed using the ADAPTE method with the participation of 40 authors and 80 external reviewers. The process was divided into three major phases: set up, adaptation and finalization. During adaptation and completion, a total of 44 patients and 18 family caregivers were involved.

Results and conclusions

The different roles assumed by the patients and their family caregivers were described, depending on the panel in which they participated, with diverse grades of complexity: a user as author, integration of the results of qualitative research with the participation of local users and family caregivers, 13 users as individual external reviewers and the participation of users and caregiver organizations in the external review. In the guideline, contributions from patients during the qualitative research were included in an innovative way, placing them just behind the recommendations. On the other hand, the results of the family caregivers’ study were included in a specific area of uncertainty. Further, the expressed point of view was considered as the collective demands of users and family caregivers’ organizations in the cost‐benefit analysis made by the organizing committee. There were diverse ways to conduct direct patient participation during the guideline development, ensuring that their individual experiences contributed significantly to the final version.

Clozapine prescribing: comparison of clozapine dosage and plasma levels between White British and Bangladeshi patients

AIMS AND METHOD

To compare differences in clozapine doses and plasma levels between Bangladeshi and White British patients. Following ethical approval we identified all current Bangladeshi and White British patients on clozapine maintenance in an east London clinic. We carried out univariate and multivariate regression analyses to examine associations between clozapine doses and ethnicity, age, gender, smoking status and weight. We also compared plasma clozapine levels of the two groups.

RESULTS

On univariate analysis White British patients had on average 85 mg higher doses than Bangladeshi patients (P = 0.004). Older age, male gender and smoking were also associated with higher dose. On multivariate analysis only age and smoking status remained significant. A greater proportion of Bangladeshi patients had high plasma clozapine levels compared with White British (30.76% v. 20.75%), although the difference was not statistically significant.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Our findings point to the need for the broadening of data collection on ethnic differences in clozapine prescribing within big data-sets such as Prescribing Observatory for Mental Health (POM-UK). Ethnopharmacological variations can inform more person-centred guidance on prescribing.

Time to Clinical Response in the Treatment of Early Onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Study

Objectives: We investigated the time course of clinical response in the Treatment of Early Onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Study (TEOSS). Methods: TEOSS randomized 119 predominantly outpatient youth ages 8-19 years with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder to 8 weeks of treatment with molindone, risperidone, or olanzapine. We used proportional hazards regression to determine whether these three antipsychotics differed in the time until clinical response, defined as the time from treatment initiation to the point of achieving a Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement (CGI-I) scale score of 1 ("very much improved") or 2 ("much improved") that was maintained until week 8. Results: Of the 116 youth who initiated treatment, 56 (48%) achieved clinical response. Among clinical responders, the median (±interquartile range) time until clinical response was 4.0 (±4.0) weeks for olanzapine, 4.5 (±4.0) weeks for risperidone, and 6.0 (±4.0) weeks for molindone. There were no significant differences in time course for clinical response between medications (p = 0.84). Youth without symptom improvement (CGI-I ≥ 4) after 3 weeks were more likely to be clinical nonresponders at week 8 (relative risk ratio = 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.29-3.05), compared with youth with at-least-minimal symptom improvement after 3 weeks when looking at all antipsychotics combined. Conclusion: To our knowledge, our study is the first to investigate medication differences in treatment response timing in early onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Clinical response times for molindone, risperidone, and olanzapine were not significantly different. Furthermore, while lack of early improvement predicted clinical nonresponse, whether or not to continue antipsychotic treatment after 3 or more weeks without symptom improvement should be based on clinical judgment after weighing potential risks, benefits, and alternatives. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00053703.

Prescribing pattern of antipsychotic medication for first-episode psychosis: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Guidelines for antipsychotic use in first-episode psychosis (FEP) recommend that medication be chosen initially on the basis of side effect profile with doses at the lower end of the range. Our objective was to describe the pattern of antipsychotic use in FEP over a period of 21 years in the context of changing clinical guidelines and the development of specialist early intervention in psychosis (EIP) services.

SETTING

A community-based mental health service in South County Dublin (population 187 000) and a large private hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants included 465 patients with FEP (146 from an epidemiological study (1995-1999) and 319 from a specialist EIP service (2005-2016)). Treatment with antipsychotic medication did not exceed 30 days at study entry.

OUTCOME MEASURES

This is a descriptive study of prescribing practices in the context of service development and changing guidelines.

RESULTS

First-generation antipsychotics were prescribed for 65% of the early cohort compared with 4.3% of the EIP cohort. Olanzapine was initially prescribed for 79.7% of EIP patients. Initial doses of medication were frequently low (≤50% British National Formulary (BNF) maximum) in both cohorts (71% and 78.6%). The demographic and clinical factors investigated did not influence the initial choice of antipsychotic medication significantly. Univariate logistic regression analysis suggested inpatient treatment setting was associated with a higher initial dose (>50% BNF maximum) of antipsychotic medication. Increasing dose requirements over the first month of engagement with an EIP service was associated with poorer global functioning at baseline, greater positive symptoms at baseline and the inpatient treatment setting. However, these associations were not seen in the multivariable model.

CONCLUSIONS

Second-generation antipsychotic prescribing predominates, but guidelines are often overlooked when choosing olanzapine notwithstanding lower initial dosages. EIP services should include proactive support for optimising medicines in line with evidence-based guidelines.

Schizophrenia Treatment with Second-Generation Antipsychotics: A Multi-Country Comparison of the Costs of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Adverse Events and Weight Gain

PURPOSE

Cardiovascular and metabolic adverse events are costly to treat, and their incidence is increased amongst people with schizophrenia, with different rates observed for second-generation antipsychotics. To inform treatment choice, this study sought to estimate the lifetime costs associated with antipsychotic choice, and how these costs varied across European countries.

METHODS

Systematic searches were conducted to identify evidence on effectiveness and costs. A Markov model was developed to assess the costs of ten antipsychotics: aripiprazole, brexpiprazole, cariprazine, lumateperone, lurasidone, olanzapine, paliperidone, quetiapine, risperidone and ziprasidone. Costs were obtained for seven countries: Italy, Hungary, France, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. The costs considered were adverse events (including diabetes, myocardial infarction, stroke and weight gain), drug costs, relapse, treatment discontinuation and schizophrenia management. Two adult populations were modelled; initiating either acute or maintenance treatment, with a lifetime horizon for both.

RESULTS

Lurasidone was associated with the lowest lifetime costs amongst patients initiating acute treatment compared to all other atypical antipsychotics considered. The second lowest costs were for ziprasidone. These results were observed for all seven countries. The main drivers of cost differences were rates of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, which were lowest for lurasidone, followed by ziprasidone then lumateperone. Costs for managing weight gain were lowest for lurasidone and ziprasidone. Similar results were observed for patients initiating maintenance treatment.

CONCLUSION

Diabetes and cardiovascular events are large drivers of lifetime costs for people with schizophrenia. Lurasidone is predicted to have the lowest rates of these adverse events, and so the lowest costs amongst patients initiating acute treatment in seven European countries compared to nine other antipsychotics. Future research should investigate the individual costs of relapse management, including differences in the costs and proportions of hospitalizations.

Daily functioning and symptom factors contributing to attitudes toward antipsychotic treatment and treatment adherence in outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

BACKGROUND

Poor adherence and negative attitudes to treatment are common clinical problems when treating psychotic disorders. This study investigated how schizophrenia core symptoms and daily functioning affect treatment adherence and attitudes toward antipsychotic medication and to compare patients using clozapine or other antipsychotics.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study with data from 275 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Patients adherence, attitudes, insight and side-effects were evaluated using the Attitudes toward Neuroleptic Treatment scale. Overall symptomology was measured using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Health of the Nation Outcome Scale (HoNOS). The functioning was assessed using activities of daily living scale, instrumental activities of daily living scale and social functioning of daily living scale.

RESULTS

Self-reported treatment adherence was high. Of the patients, 83% reported using at least 75% of the prescribed medication. Having more symptoms was related with more negative attitude towards treatment. There was a modest association with functioning and treatment adherence and attitude toward antipsychotic treatment. Attitudes affected on adherence in non-clozapine but not in clozapine groups.

CONCLUSION

Early detection of non-adherence is difficult. Systematic evaluation of attitudes toward the treatment could be one way to assess this problem, along with optimized medication, prompt evaluation of side effects and flexible use of psychosocial treatments.

Evaluating the feasibility of a decision aid to promote shared decision making among young adults with first-episode psychosis: protocol for a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Young adults ages 18 to 25 with first episode psychosis (FEP) have an increased risk of discontinuation antipsychotic medications and psychiatric service disengagement that lead to symptom exacerbation and deterioration. We seek to (1) examine the feasibility, usability, and potential impact of a Shared Decision Making (SDM) Antipsychotic Medication Decision Aid (DA) on decision-making, adherence to the decision made, and service engagement among young adults with FEP and (2) understand the role of additional patient-level factors on SDM.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial is being conducted in a coordinated specialty care community program for FEP in an urban setting. Eligible patients are randomly assigned to receive an intervention, the Antipsychotic Medication Decision Aid, or treatment as usual. Patients receive their assigned intervention before their medication appointment with the psychiatrist and complete four interviews: before the appointment (T0), after the appointment (T1), and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups (T2 and T3). The study staff and participating psychiatrists are not blinded to the intervention. The data are de-identified to maintain blinding during the analysis process. The primary aims are feasibility of intervention delivery and research procedures and preliminary impact of the intervention on SDM-related outcomes, medication adherence, and service engagement. As a secondary aim, we will explore the contribution of personality and motivation variables, clinical relationships, cognitive functioning, and mental-health-related stigma to SDM. If the sample size permits, we plan to conduct parametric tests such as independent-samples t tests at T1 to compare differences in SDM, adherence, and engagement scales. In the case of a small sample size, we will use non-parametric tests and descriptive statistics.

DISCUSSION

This protocol outlines the methodology for a feasibility pilot comparing the effect of a novel SDM Antipsychotic Medication encounter DA with treatment as usual on SDM, medication adherence, and service engagement in FEP care. SDM is endorsed as a framework for use in FEP and antipsychotic pharmacotherapy, but its impact on adherence and health outcomes is unclear. Understanding the potential contribution of an SDM Antipsychotic Medication DA compared with usual care in psychosis pharmacotherapy is critical. The study will help answer several key questions new to SDM research, including the contribution of personality and clinical relationships to SDM in mental health and psychosis in particular. The study will serve to gather feasibility data to inform future studies and scale-up.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Ethics approval was obtained through Temple University's institutional review board (IRB) and the City of Philadelphia's Department of Public Health IRB. The study has been retrospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT04373590 on 29 April 2020. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04373590?term=NCT04373590&draw=2&rank=1.

Case Report: Severe Side Effects Following Treatment With First Generation Antipsychotics While Cariprazine Leads to Full Recovery

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder characterized by positive, negative, cognitive and affective symptoms. Patient cooperation with health care professionals, compliance with the treatment regime, and regular use of medications are some of the preconditions that need to be met for a favorable disease course. A negative experience following the use of a first-generation antipsychotic to treat first-episode psychosis can negatively affect a patient's motivation for further medication use. In the clinical case reported here, cariprazine was able to restore one such patient's confidence in therapy and facilitated their cooperation with the physician, thereby ensuring effective control of negative and positive symptoms and good functioning for a period of 1 year. Cariprazine may be a good option for maintenance therapy following first-episode psychosis, especially in situations in which a patient has had a negative first experience associated with antipsychotic medication use.

Patterns of long acting injectable antipsychotic use and associated clinical factors in schizophrenia among 15 Asian countries and region

INTRODUCTION

Patterns of clinical use of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic drugs in many countries, especially in Asia, for treatment of patients diagnosed with chronic psychotic disorders including schizophrenia are not well established.

METHODS

Within an extensive research consortium, we evaluated prescription rates for first- (FGA) and second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) LAI drugs and their clinical correlates among 3557 subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia across 15 Asian countries and region.

RESULTS

Overall, an average of 17.9% (638/3557; range: 0.0%-44.9%) of treated subjects were prescribed LAI antipsychotics. Those given LAI vs orally administered agents were significantly older, had multiple hospitalizations, received multiple antipsychotics more often, at 32.4% higher doses, were more likely to manifest disorganized behavior or aggression, had somewhat superior psychosocial functioning and less negative symptoms, but were more likely to be hospitalized, with higher BMI, and more tremor. Being prescribed an FGA vs SGA LAI agent was associated with male sex, aggression, disorganization, hospitalization, multiple antipsychotics, higher doses, with similar risks of adverse neurological or metabolic effects. Rates of use of LAI antipsychotic drugs to treat patients diagnosed with schizophrenia varied by more than 40-fold among Asian countries and given to an average of 17.9% of treated schizophrenia patients. We identified the differences in the clinical profiles and treatment characteristics of patients who were receiving FGA-LAI and SGA-LAI medications.

DISCUSSION

These findings behoove clinicians to be mindful when evaluating patients' need to be on LAI antipsychotics amidst multifaceted considerations, especially downstream adverse events such as metabolic and extrapyramidal side effects.

The long-term antipsychotic treatment of schizophrenia: A selective review of clinical guidelines and clinical case examples

There is a long-lasting debate regarding the long-term antipsychotic treatment of schizophrenia. The most frequently advocated strategy is continued antipsychotic maintenance treatment (i.e., continuous treatment with a constant dose of antipsychotic medication after symptom remission). Yet, because of the potential side effects of continued antipsychotic medication, other treatment strategies such as targeted intermittent treatment (i.e., stepwise drug discontinuation and early drug intervention in case of prodromal symptoms or early warning signs) have been discussed. In this manuscript, we review recommendations regarding the long-term antipsychotic treatment of schizophrenia from six evidence-based clinical guidelines. In line with the current state of research, all six clinical guidelines recommend continued antipsychotic maintenance treatment. Recommendations regarding other aspects of long-term antipsychotic treatment (e.g., the dosage of antipsychotic medication for long-term treatment, the minimum duration of antipsychotic long-term treatment, and discontinuation strategies) are more vague and heterogeneous. Additionally, we provide clinical case examples to illustrate different course types of patients exposed to targeted intermittent treatment. Finally, we discuss gaps in current clinical guidelines and future research avenues in antipsychotic maintenance treatment.

Updating the Comparative Evidence on Second‐Generation Antipsychotic Use With Schizophrenia

Objective

The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of literature comparing second‐generation antipsychotics (SGAs) with each other and with first‐generation antipsychotics (FGAs) in treating schizophrenia.

Methods

MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO databases were searched through January 2020. Following standard methods, recent high‐quality systematic reviews of each drug comparison and subsequently published primary studies were included to update the meta‐analyses with any new data. Two reviewers independently conducted study selection, abstraction, and quality assessment.

Results

Two systematic reviews and 29 newer trials (total of 162 trials of SGAs, N=53,861; 116 trials of SGAs versus FGAs, N=119,558) were included. Most trials were of fair quality, industry‐funded, and included older SGAs and a few recently approved SGAs (asenapine, lurasidone, iloperidone, cariprazine, brexpiprazole and long‐acting injection [LAI] formulations of aripiprazole and paliperidone). Older SGAs had similar effects on function, quality of life, mortality, and adverse event incidence, although clozapine improved symptoms more than most other drugs and olanzapine and risperidone were superior to some other drugs. Olanzapine, risperidone, ziprasidone, and aripiprazole performed similarly on outcomes of benefit compared with haloperidol. Risperidone LAI and olanzapine resulted in fewer withdrawals due to adverse events, but risk of diabetes increased with olanzapine. Haloperidol had greater incidence of adverse events than did olanzapine and risperidone, but similar effects on other outcomes.

Conclusions

Most comparative evidence favored older SGAs, with clozapine, olanzapine, and risperidone superior on more outcomes than other SGAs. Older SGAs had similar benefits as haloperidol but with fewer adverse events.

Use of the second‐generation antipsychotics olanzapine, aripiprazole, risperidone, quetiapine, and ziprasidone resulted in similar function, quality of life, mortality, and overall incidence of adverse events.

Core illness symptoms improved more with olanzapine and risperidone than asenapine, quetiapine, or ziprasidone, and more with paliperidone than lurasidone or iloperidone.

Haloperidol showed similar benefits but more adverse events than did olanzapine or risperidone.