Early intervention services, patterns of prescription and rates of discontinuation of antipsychotic treatment in first-episode psychosis

Effect of long-acting antipsychotic treatment on psychiatric hospitalization rate in early psychosis patients: a naturalistic study

Background

The effectiveness of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics in preventing relapses of first-episode psychosis is currently debated.

Objectives

The study aimed to investigate the number of psychiatric hospitalizations comparing the LAI cohort versus the oral cohort during different phases of the illness, pre-LAI treatment, during LAI treatment, and after LAI treatment.

Design

A naturalistic study was conducted on two independent cohorts of early psychosis patients receiving treatment from a specific early intervention service. The first cohort comprised 228 patients who received LAIs, while the second cohort comprised 667 patients who had never received LAIs.

Methods

This study was designed as a longitudinal observational study conducted within a naturalistic clinical setting in two cohorts of early psychosis patients. Repeated series ANCOVA (ANCOVA-r) was used to study the number of hospitalizations in the different study periods (T1 = from the date of the first psychiatric record to the beginning of the mirror period; T2 = the mirror period; T3 = from the LAI implementation to the LAI discontinuation; and T4 = from the LAI discontinuation to the end). In all cases, discontinuation of LAI involved the return to oral treatment. In all, 35 patients had not T4 as they were still on LAI treatment at the time of database closing (September 2020), and their data were not included in the analysis of the effect of the LAI discontinuation.

Results

The patients in the LAI cohort were younger, more frequently males, presented more schizophrenia diagnoses, and had a higher number of hospitalizations (2.50 ± 2.61 versus 1.19 ± 1.69; p < 0.001) than the oral cohort. The number of hospitalizations at the end of the follow-up was higher in the LAI cohort [0.20 (standard deviation (SD)) = 0.79] versus 0.45 [SD = 0.45 (SD = 1.13); F(23.90), p < 0.001]. However, after the introduction of LAIs, the differences in hospitalization rates between the two cohorts became less pronounced. Once LAI treatment was ceased, the hospitalization rate increased again.

Conclusion

In our study, early psychosis patients receiving LAIs experienced a greater decrease in hospitalizations after introducing the LAI treatment than those treated solely with oral medication. These findings support using LAIs as a viable strategy for preventing rehospitalization and improving the overall course of treatment for individuals with early psychosis.

Aripiprazole for the treatment of schizophrenia: Recommendations of a panel of Spanish experts on its use in clinical practice

OBJECTIVES

Aripiprazole is an antipsychotic with a partial agonism of dopamine D₂ and D₃ receptors. This differential mechanism implies a rigorous appraisal of the appropriate therapeutic strategies in certain situations. To answer currently unsolved clinical questions about the use of oral and long-acting injectable (LAI) aripiprazole, we present here an expert consensus from 12 Spanish psychiatrists and a pharmacologist with extensive experience in the use of this antipsychotic.

METHODS

Through one face-to-face session and online collaboration, we reached consensus and established practical recommendations based on scientific evidence and clinical experience. We classified the available scientific literature according to SIGN system and attributed a level of evidence to each reviewed article.

RESULTS

The recommendations were divided according to (i) chronological dimension (based on previous treatments, including patients naïve or not to antipsychotic treatment and maintenance regimen), and (ii) dimension related to therapeutic options, comprising switches to aripiprazole and the most used combinations with this antipsychotic.

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend considering aripiprazole as first treatment option in the early stages of schizophrenia and in patients with affective symptoms and contemplating a switch to aripiprazole LAI in all candidate patients. Importantly, switches from other antipsychotics should consider previous antipsychotic history and exposure to aripiprazole. KEYPOINTSAripiprazole can be considered as first treatment option in early stages of schizophrenia and in patients with significant affective symptoms.Aripiprazole LAI shows better adherence than oral aripiprazole and could be considered in all candidate patients.Before switching to aripiprazole, detailed information about previous antipsychotic history should be gathered.Switch to aripiprazole should be managed differently for aripiprazole naïve and non-naïve patients.Rigorous and controlled studies on antipsychotics in real clinical practice should be carried out.