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Is interval medication a successful treatment regimen for schizophrenic patients with critical attitudes towards treatment?⋆

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

F. Godemann ,
M. Linden ,
W. Gaebel ,
W. Köpke ,
P. Müller ,
F. Müller-Spahn ,
J. Tegeler  and
A. Pietzcker
F. Godemann*
Affiliation:
Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Charité, Mitte, Schumannstraße 20/21, 10117Berlin, Germany
M. Linden
Affiliation:
Rehabilitationsklinik Seehof, Teltow, Germany
W. Gaebel
Affiliation:
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Kliniken der Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
W. Köpke
Affiliation:
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Münster, Germany
P. Müller
Affiliation:
Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Göttingen, Germany
F. Müller-Spahn
Affiliation:
Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik, Basel, Switzerland
J. Tegeler
Affiliation:
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie, Leipzig, Germany
A. Pietzcker
Affiliation:
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
*
*E-mail address: f.godemann@alexius.de
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Abstract

In neuroleptic long-term medication, only part of the patients accept regular intake of neuroleptic drugs. The question is whether an interval medication regimen as opposed to continuous medication can help to reduce drop outs in patients with critical attitudes towards long-term medication. In a 2-year prospective study, 122 patients were randomised to an interval and 164 to a continuous neuroleptic medication regimen. The drop out rates were 62.5% in the interval and 53.7% in the continuous medication group. Drop outs generally show more negative attitudes towards treatment. Patients with negative attitudes do not do better under interval medication. Moreover, this regimen even requires more cooperation and trust in terms of the necessity of medication on the part of the patient compared to the continuous medication regimen. Interval medication therefore is a strategy which can only be successful in highly cooperative, but not in treatment-reluctant patients.

Keywords

IntervalLong-term medicationComplianceSchizophreniaNeuroleptic drugs
Type
Short communication
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , March 2003 , pp. 82 - 84
Copyright
Copyright © Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS 2002

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Footnotes

All persons belong to ANI Study Group.

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