title: Long-term depot maintenance of chronic schizophrenic out-patients: the seven year follow-up of the Medical Research Council fluphenazine/placebo trial I. Course of illness, stability of diagnosis, and the role of a special maintenance clinic.
abstract: A follow-up study of all patients entering the MRC double-blind trial of fluphenazine decanoate in chronic schizophrenic out-patients achieved a trace rate of 94%. In general, these patients were severely disabled, continued under the care of the maintenance clinic, and their diagnoses remained remarkably consistent; more than one-fifth were found to be in acute schizophrenic relapse and in over a half of these cases, the relapse was not known to the treatment agency. The maintenance clinic attenders were little different from those who no longer used such a facility.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005476:Fluphenazine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; C011825:fluphenazine depot; D005476:Fluphenazine