title: Comparison of treatment patterns in schizophrenia between China and Japan (2001-2009).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To date no study has compared the treatment patterns for schizophrenia specifically between China and Japan. This study examined the cross-national differences in the use of psychotropic drugs and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on 3248 schizophrenia inpatients (n = 1524 in China and n = 1724 in Japan) were collected by either chart review or interviews during the designated 3 study periods between 2001 and 2009. Patients' socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, prescriptions of psychotropic drugs, and ECT use were recorded using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate analyses revealed that compared to their Japanese counterparts, Chinese inpatients had a shorter length of current hospitalization, were significantly less frequently prescribed second-generation antipsychotics (except clozapine), antipsychotic polypharmacy, benzodiazepines, and mood stabilizers, and more likely to receive clozapine, antidepressants, and ECT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Substantial variations in inpatient treatment patterns for schizophrenia were found between China and Japan. The common use of ECT and clozapine in Chinese inpatients and the frequent use of antipsychotic polypharmacy and high antipsychotic doses in Japanese inpatients need to be addressed.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Tao
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.|Innovation Center for Medical Redox Navigation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Taishiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.|School of Psychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
authors.forename: Gabor S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ungvari
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
authors.forename: Helen F K
authors.initials: HFK
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital) & Peking University Institute of Mental Health & The Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Tian-Mei
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Si
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Disaster Psychiatry, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Senta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Chee H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: International Center for Medical Research, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Naotaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shinfuku
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: China; Japan; ethnicity; prescription; schizophrenia