Evidence of effectiveness - Ben Thornley et al (2003)
Reviewed studies comparing effectiveness of Chlorpromazine to control conditions where people with SCZ received a placebo (experiences were identical except for the presence of Chlorpromazine)
Data from 13 trials with a total of 1121 participants - showed Chlorpromazine was associated with better overall functioning and reduced symptom severity
Data from 3 trials with a total 512 participants showed that relapse rate was also lower when Chlorpromazine was taken
Evidence of effectiveness - Meltzer (2012)
Concluded that Clozapine is more effective than typical and atypical antipsychotics - effective in 30-50% of treatment-resistant cases where typical antipsychotics have failed
Studies compared its effectiveness to other atypical drugs (eg Risperidone) but results have been inconclusive - perhaps because people react differently to the drugs
Weakness - Appropriateness
Drug therapy has been argued to affect every person differently so its hard to have a concrete measure on its effectiveness
Also have a range of side effects - eg Tardive Dyskinesia - which effects how sufferers live their everyday life
Weakness - Appropriateness (Dopamine hypothesis)
A lot of it is based on the dopamine hypothesis (high levels in sub cortex) - therefore is more of a theoretical issue than a practical one
Also, the original dopamine hypothesis has since been revised (low and high levels of dopamine in various parts of the brain)
Economic implications
Cheaper than CBT and physical therapies - easier on NHS
Can allow patients to recover and manage their symptoms faster and get back to work
