title: Remission and employment status in schizophrenia and other psychoses: One-year prospective study in Croatian patients treated with risperidone long acting injection.
abstract: While numerous studies have confirmed the efficacy of risperidone long-acting injectable (RLAI) on many clinical outcomes in patients with schizophrenia, there is no data regarding its influence on employment status.
  
  
  
  This was a 12-month observational study with flexible doses of RLAI on a Croatian population of patients with schizophrenia and other psychoses. Visits were at baseline and after 1, 3, 6 and 12 months of treatment. Treatment response was evaluated using Clinical Global Impression of Illness Severity (CGI-S) and Improvement (CGI-I) scales, while remission was defined by 8 items of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Employment status was determined at baseline and at study endpoint.
  
  
  
  A total of 362 patients were included, with a median age of 37 (interquartile range 29-47) years, 63.5 % were males and 67.4% were hospitalised at baseline. Overall 258 (71.3%) patients completed the study. Improvements in CGI-S scores from baseline were significant (p<0.001) at all visits. Remission criteria were met in 9 (2.5%) patients at baseline, and in 199 (54.9%) at endpoint, while 144 patients (52.7%) achieved symptomatic remission. Female patients were five times more likely to achieve symptomatic remission (OR=5.2; 95%CI=2.64-10.19). At baseline, 74/362 (20.4%) patients were employed, compared to 77/257 (30.0%) at endpoint (p<0.001). Adverse events were spontaneously reported in 55 (15.2%) patients. Three patients died (judged not to be related to RLAI) and one patient committed homicide.
  
  
  
  Patients treated with RLAI had significant improvements in CGI-S scale scores, hospitalization status, rates of remission and employment status, indicating the benefits of continuous treatment over time. Further studies on the comparative impact of different treatment strategies on functional recovery are needed.
authors.affiliation: University of Zagreb, School of Medicine and University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Salata 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, apeles@mef.hr.
authors.forename: Alma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mihaljevic-Peles
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sagud
authors.forename: Ivona Simunovic
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Filipcic
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grosic
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pedisic
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Emsley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017523:Croatia; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D018967:Risperidone