The pharmacological management of behavioural disturbance in psychosis: a naturalistic study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of atypical and typical anti-psychotics in treating behavioural disturbance in people with psychotic disorders, in a naturalistic setting.


METHODS
This was a prospective naturalistic study of 303 incidents of behavioural disturbance at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between atypicals and typicals on two efficacy measures and some evidence on a third measure, that typicals are more effective.


CONCLUSIONS
In the pharmacological treatment of behavioural disturbance in psychosis, typical and atypical anti-psychotics have largely comparable efficacy.
Daniel
Jeffrey
J
Secure Extended Care Unit, Austin Health, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.
Chamberlain
James
J
Castle
David
D
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004644:Emotions; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014739:Victoria