MAINTENANCE MEDICATION FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA AND SCHIZOAFFECTIVE PATIENTS

This study assesses the different approaches to treating patients with schizoaffective and paranoid schizophrenia in remission. Individualiz ed treatment of 220 outpatient schizophrenia patients was conducted fo r 4 years. The choice of treatment was based on the course of the dise ase and the frequency of relapses. The influence of changes in treatme nt on the patterns of relapses is presented. The results of this prosp ective followup open study were evaluated by comparing data received d uring our research with data from the two preceding 4-year periods and with data from the control group. Compared with routine methods, spec ial treatment tactics led to a significantly decreased frequency of re lapses in patients with frequent relapses (p < 0.001). In patients wit h rare relapses, full cessation of treatment did not lead to increasin g mean frequency of relapses. Treatment in remission should be based o n the peculiarities of the course of disease, specifically, frequency of relapses, type of schizophrenia, and presence or absence of positiv e psychopathological signs in remission.