Clinical outcomes of long‐acting risperidone in recent versus long‐term diagnosed <scp>B</scp>elgian schizophrenic patients: results from electronic <scp>S</scp>chizophrenia <scp>T</scp>reatment <scp>A</scp>dherence <scp>R</scp>egistry (<scp>e</scp>‐<scp>STAR</scp>) and <scp>T</scp>rial for the <scp>I</scp>nitiation and <scp>M</scp>aintenance Of <scp>RE</scp>mission in <scp>S</scp>chizophrenia with risperidone (<scp>TIMORES</scp>)

Abstract

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.