Indication of depot antipsychotic treatment in the view of slovak psychiatrists

Abstract

With the increasing number of atypical antipsychotics in depot form, there emerges question about plus and cons of their use in schizophrenia patients. We focused on the opinion of Slovak psychiatrists about use of this treatment in some specific situations of schizophrenia treatment. Research was realized via questionnaire on psychiatrists (n = 47) from ambulant and hospital care, during one conference in June 2015. First part of the questionnaire was focused on the preference of oral or depot form of antipsychotic treatment. Depot form would be indicated by psychiatrists (in more than 89%) when low compliance, anosognosia or frequent episodes. On the contrary, oral antipsychotic treatment is preferred in young patients or employed patients. The type of symptoms (e.g. positive, negative) has relatively small impact on the preference of treatment, where the preferences of each type were the lowest (fewer than 36%). According to the opinion of psychiatrists, depot antipsychotic treatment is not suitable in first episode of disorder (according to 81% of respondents), otherwise in second or third episode it would not be chosen by 6% of asked psychiatrists.

From the aspects of the choice between atypical or typical depot, atypical antipsychotics in depot form were favored when presence of adverse reactions (80%), occurrence of negative symptoms (65%) and short duration of disorder (58%). Typical depot was preferred by psychiatrists in patients with chronic states.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.