title: Examining the effectiveness of antipsychotic medication in first-episode psychosis.
abstract: The regular use of antipsychotic medication is known to improve overall outcomes and diminish risk of relapse, but applying the results of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) into routine clinical practice is not always straightforward. Furthermore, psychiatrists, service users and policy makers can have trouble keeping up with the burgeoning and, at times, conflicting results from research trials, meta-analysis and systematic reviews. In this paper we examine the differences between efficacy and effectiveness trials with regard to antipsychotic medication with a focus on first-episode psychosis, after reviewing the relative contribution of antipsychotic medication to outcomes in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Ballenden House, Edinburgh, UK. marktaylor2@nhs.net
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cavanagh
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hodgson
authors.forename: Jari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tiihonen
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents