title: Relationship between Antidepressant Prescription Rates and Features of Schizophrenic Patients and Its Outcome in Schizophrenia Treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Comorbid depression in schizophrenia is associated with poor outcome, increased risk of relapse and a high rate of suicide. Identification of depressive symptoms and their appropriate treatment is crucial for depressed schizophrenic patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the rates of antidepressant prescription and their outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of the schizophrenic outpatients, who were consulted at Psychosis Unit of Psychiatry Department between January 2007 and September 2012, were evaluated retrospectively. Enrolled schizophrenic patients' antidepressant medications were at their minimal effective doses and effective duration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The present study demonstrates that 39 of the 101 patients during their follow-ups were prescribed antidepressants. The mean follow-up period was 6.3 (±4.2) years; the mean age at onset was 22 (±6.5) years; the mean duration of illness was 14.7 (±7.3) years and the mean number of psychotic exacerbation was 5 (±3.7). The most prescribed antidepressants were; sertraline (36.9%), venlefaxine (23.8%) and essitalopram (20.2%). SSRI's were prescribed 57 (73.1%), where as SNRI's 21 times (26.9%). There was no significant difference between SSRI (78.6%) and SNRI (21.4%) treatments in terms of psychotic exacerbation under antidepressant medication. Full remission of depressive symptoms was achieved in 21 patients (53.8%). Remission rates were significantly higher (p<0.01) in SNRI treated depressed schizophrenic patients (85.7%) compared to SSRI treated patients (50.9%). In 8 of the 39 patients (20.5%) antidepressant treatment was terminated due to side effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that SSRI's were more often prescribed compared to other classes of antidepressants in emerging depressive symptoms in schizophrenic patients despite full remission with SNRI's is more common. There was no significant difference between SSRI and SNRI treatment in terms of psychotic exacerbation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurcan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hanci
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özlem
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Çetin Eker
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özlem
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Miraloğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Argun Uslu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Güven
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Özkaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Salih Saygın
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Eker
keywords: Schizophrenia; antidepressant; depression