Work

Psychiatric hospitalization following antipsychotic medication cessation in first episode psychosis

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: There are questions about the risk-benefit balance of longer-term antipsychotic medication treatment following first episode psychosis, especially in relation to relapse because of dopamine supersensitivity following treatment cessation. AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine whether hospitalization rates in first episode psychosis patients are associated with length of initial oral antipsychotic medication exposure. METHODS: We examined psychiatric hospitalization rates in patients experiencing first episode of psychosis from the total population of Sweden between 1 January 2007-31 December 2016 ( n=7043). We categorised patients by the length of first antipsychotic treatment (<6 months, 6 months to <1 year, 1 year to <2 years, 2 years to <5 years and ⩾5 years). RESULTS: Compared to those treated for <6 months, individuals receiving oral antipsychotic medications for ⩾5 years had less than half the cumulative incidence of hospitalization at all times between 1-4 years after treatment cessation. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence that hospitalization rates increased with increasing baseline antipsychotic exposure.

Source: Journal of Psychopharmacology

DOI: 10.1177/0269881119827883

Authors: Joseph F Hayes, David PJ Osborn, Andreas Lundin, Christina Dalman

Institutions: University College London, Karolinska Institutet

Language: English

Topic: Schizophrenia research and treatment

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Wellcome Trust, Forskningsrådet om Hälsa, Arbetsliv och Välfärd