AO3 - Drug Therapy Schizophrenia

• Davis et al (1989) found that antipsychotics were more effective than placebos in a meta-analysis of over 100 studies. They found that 75% of patients improved against 25% in the placebo group.
• Marder (1996) found that clozapine was as effective as typical antipsychotics for positive symptoms, helping 30 to 61% of patients who were resistant to typical antipsychotics.
• Drug therapy is usually faster acting and more cost effective than other psychological therapies.
• Lieberman (2005) found that 74% of 1432 individuals discontinued treatment within 18 months because of side effects. Typical drugs caused muscular disorders whereas atypical drugs caused more weight gain.
• Some antipsychotic drugs have a wide variety of actions on the brain and behaviour, than they are intended to treat. This can lead to a range of side effects.
• Unwanted side effects from antipsychotic medication can be very serious and can cause distress and more serious health complications.
• Research into the effectiveness of drug therapy is very socially sensitive. Some people argue that these drugs are used as a form of social control, making patients easier to manage.
• Moncrieff (2013) suggest that antipsychotics are often used in hospitals to calm patients with schizophrenia and make them easier for staff to work with, rather than for the benefits of the patients themselves.
• Ethical issues arise when people are forced to take drugs. This may be the case in patients who are hospitalised with schizophrenia.
• Drug treatments may control the symptoms of schizophrenia but do not cure the underlying problem which may be causing the disorder.
• Healy (2012) suggested that most studies investigating the effectiveness of drug therapy are often only focused on the short-term effects.
• Long-term use of antipsychotic drugs can result in serious side effects such as tardive dyskinesia, which is caused by dopamine supersensitivity and causes involuntary facial movements such as grimacing, blinking and lip smacking.
• The most serious side effect of antipsychotic drugs (mainly typical antipsychotics) is neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). NMS results in high temperature, delirium and can be fatal. This means the antipsychotics can do harm as well as good.
• Compliance is a major problem with drug therapy for schizophrenia. It is estimated that 40-50% of people with the disorder have problems sticking to their prescribed medication.
• Smith et al (2010) suggest that antipsychotic drugs often fail to significantly improve the negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction associated with schizophrenia.