Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
Management of schizophrenia patients in acute setting – a multinational survey of prescription patterns in five European countries. |
| Authors: |
Bioque, Miquel (AUTHOR), Amerio, Andrea (AUTHOR), Ustohal, Libor (AUTHOR), Urban-Kowalczyk, Małgorzata (AUTHOR), Petrikis, Petros (AUTHOR), Alvarez-Barón, Elena (AUTHOR), Gabarda-Inat, Irene (AUTHOR) |
| Source: |
International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice. Mar2026, Vol. 30 Issue 1, p84-98. 15p. |
| Subjects: |
Schizophrenia treatment, World Wide Web, Patient compliance, Research funding, Questionnaires, Interviewing, Olanzapine, Schizophrenia, Antipsychotic agents, Treatment effectiveness, Risperidone, Surveys, Physician practice patterns, Research, Drug prescribing, Disease relapse, Drugs, Aripiprazole, Critical care medicine, Drug tolerance |
| Geographic Terms: |
Europe |
| Abstract: |
Objective: To analyse the use of antipsychotics for first-episode of psychosis (FEP) and relapsed schizophrenia, and the impact of predominant symptoms on decision making. Methods: A survey among 150 European psychiatrists was conducted using computer-assisted web interviewing to assess preferred medications, switching, dose adjustments, and maintenance therapy in acute FEP and relapse settings. Results: Negative or affective symptoms were reported as prevalent in 55% of FEP and 59% of relapsed schizophrenia cases, indicating significant unmet treatment needs. Olanzapine and risperidone were the most commonly prescribed antipsychotics for FEP, with treatment choices influenced by symptom profiles. Long-acting injectables (LAIs) were prescribed to 28% of FEP patients, with notable variation across countries (15–43%; p < 0.05). During hospitalisation, 41% of patients required therapy adjustments, while discharge decisions were driven by drug tolerability and symptom severity. For relapsed patients, non-adherence was identified as the primary cause of relapse (71%), and olanzapine, risperidone, and aripiprazole were the most prescribed treatments. Post-discharge adjustments for relapsed patients focused on adherence and long-term treatment goals. Conclusion: Despite the prevalence of negative or affective symptoms in FEP and relapsed patients, traditional antipsychotics remain the most prescribed treatments. Non-adherence and variability in LAI usage highlight the need for improved symptom-specific approaches and standardised LAI protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: |
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
