Relationship between costs and symptoms in schizophrenia patients treated with antipsychotic medication: a review.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this review is to understand how changes in costs of illness are related to the effects of antipsychotic medications on symptoms in schizophrenia patients.


METHODS
A search of the MEDLINE database was performed using the keywords costs, symptoms, and schizophrenia. Studies published between 1965 and 2003 in English, French, German, or Spanish that assessed costs, symptoms, and relationships between costs and symptoms were reviewed.


RESULTS
Twenty studies were identified. Most of the reviewed clinical trials of antipsychotic medications reported a decrease in mean costs of illness and an improvement in symptoms. However, many of the studies did not examine the relationship between changes in costs and symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
There is little evidence that changes in costs of illness are directly related to the effects of antipsychotic medications on symptoms. This review emphasizes the need for standardizing the assessment of costs and clinical outcomes, looking more specifically at the relationship between types of costs and specific aspects of psychopathology and developing new statistical models relating changes in costs and clinical outcomes.
Zucker Hillside Hospital, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Glen Oaks, NY 11004, USA. sevy@lij.edu
Serge
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Sevy
Hema
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Visweswaraiah
Claudia
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Mentschel
Stefan
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Nina R
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Schooler
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D016527:Drug Costs; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents