Adverse effects of atypical antipsychotic agents and their effects on quality of life.
OBJECTIVE
To determine how axis III metabolic disturbances associated with atypical antipsychotic agents (weight gain, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia) affect patients' quality of life by comparing perceived quality of life of patients taking these agents who developed the disorders with those who did not develop them. A secondary objective was to compare patients' assessments of their quality of life with assessments made of the same patients by their treating psychiatrists.


METHODS
Analysis of questionnaire results.


METHODS
Thirty three patients hospitalized at a Missouri Department of Mental Health long-term care psychiatric facility after January 1, 1990.


RESULTS
Participating patients independently completed the "long" form of the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire. The psychiatrists who treated these patients completed the Physical Health-Activities section of the same questionnaire, based on their assessments of their patients' quality of life. Fifteen patients had a diagnosed axis III metabolic disturbance. For the group with these comorbid illnesses, the mean score on overall life satisfaction and contentment was 3.6 (fair to good). The corresponding value for the group without these comorbid diseases was 4.538 (good to very good). Psychiatrists' assessments of their patients' quality of life were less positive than the patients' own assessments, regardless of the existence of comorbid disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients receiving atypical antipsychotic drugs had a perceived high quality of life and were satisfied with a variety of aspects of their lives. However, metabolic disturbances had a significant, detrimental effect on patients' perceived quality of life.
Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center, St Joseph Missouri 64506, USA.
Beth M
BM
Dubisar
Steven C
SC
Stoner
James
J
Reynolds
Rintu
R
Khan
Leonard
L
Ramlatchman
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D044882:Glucose Metabolism Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents