Clinical outcomes of long-acting risperidone in recent versus long-term diagnosed Belgian schizophrenic patients: results from electronic Schizophrenia Treatment Adherence Registry (e-STAR) and Trial for the Initiation and Maintenance Of REmission in Schizophrenia with risperidone (TIMORES).

AIM

Potential differences in psychiatric clinical outcomes and hospitalization rates before and after the initiation of long-acting risperidone among recently and long-term diagnosed schizophrenia patients were studied.

METHODS

Data from two observational studies (Trial for the Initiation and Maintenance Of REmission in Schizophrenia with risperidone (TIMORES) and electronic Schizophrenia Treatment Adherence Registry (e-STAR)) were categorized by the recency of their diagnose and compared in several post hoc analyses. Clinical Global Impression of illness Severity (CGI-S) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores, as well as symptoms of clinical deterioration (including hospitalization data) at baseline, 12-month (for TIMORES and e-STAR) and 24-month (for e-STAR) follow-up were analysed. Other outcome measures included discontinuation rate, employment status and remission attainment.

RESULTS

Statistically significantly differences between recent and long-term diagnosed schizophrenic patients at 12- and 24-month follow-up were found for CGI-S (between P < 0.01 and P ≤ 0.001) and GAF (P < 0.05) scores. Other differences between both schizophrenic patient groups were found for measures of clinical deterioration, employment status and full symptomatic remission rates at 1 year. Although no consistent difference was found between recent and long-term patient groups for hospitalization parameters, the difference in length of full hospitalization days was statistically significantly different (P < 0.01) between e-STAR 'Early' and 'Late' patient groups at both 12- and 24-month endpoints: the mean change from baseline was significantly greater for e-STAR 'Early' at 12 months, but greater for e-STAR 'Late' at 24 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the post hoc analyses support the significance of pharmacological interventions, such as long-acting risperidone, in addressing discontinuity issues, especially in recently diagnosed patients.