title: The long term--maximising potential for rehabilitation in patients with schizophrenia.
abstract: Patients with schizophrenia show low employment rates and low Quality of Life (QoL), and rehabilitation aims to maximise daily functioning, improve social interactions, and develop employment prospects. Evaluation of long-term treatment effectiveness should address these issues. Choice of medication can influence patient compliance and adverse experience of side effects may act as a barrier to rehabilitation. The Schizophrenia Trial of Aripiprazole (STAR), in which patients were randomised to receive 26 weeks of the atypical antipsychotic, aripiprazole (n=284) or standard of care medication (n=271) showed that aripiprazole demonstrated significantly better effectiveness in terms of Investigator Assessment Questionnaire (IAQ) total score. Like other atypical antipsychotic agents, aripiprazole shows a low rate of extrapyramidal adverse events. In addition, unlike the majority of other agents, aripiprazole treatment has a low risk of weight gain, translating into health-related QoL benefits. In summary, newer, atypical agents may improve efficacy, patient satisfaction, and aid long-term rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. fagiolinia@upmc.edu
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fagiolini
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goracci
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004651:Employment; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008134:Long-Term Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents