title: Effectiveness, tolerability and subjective well-being in patients receiving quetiapine: findings of a post-marketing surveillance study in schizophrenia.
abstract: Objectives. Previous studies of antipsychotics have mainly focused on efficacy and tolerability. However, patient subjective well-being is increasingly being accepted as a valid and important measure of antipsychotic treatment outcomes and tolerability. Methods. In this open-label, observational trial data from 1322 outpatients with schizophrenia treated with flexibly dosed quetiapine were collected at baseline, Week 4 and Week 12. Patient well-being was assessed using Subjective Well-being under Neuroleptics (SWN-K) scale and disease severity with the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness (CGI-S) scale following quetiapine treatment. In addition, safety and tolerability were monitored throughout the study. Results. Quetiapine treatment, mean endpoint dose 337 mg/day, led to a significant reduction in disease severity, with improvements in CGI-S score of -0.7 at Week 4 and -1.3 at Week 12 (both P<0.001). In addition, patients' subjective well-being was significantly improved at Week 12, with a mean (SD) increase from baseline in SWN-K total score of 22.9 (18.7) (P<0.001). Further, an improved tolerability profile compared with previous medication was reported. Conclusions. This study emphasises the importance of patients' subjective well-being and the favourable acceptability of quetiapine among patients with schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychosis Early Detection and Intervention Centre (PEDIC), University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Paul-Egbert
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Reimitz
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Naber
keywords: Quetiapine; schizophrenia; subjective well-being; tolerability