Long acting injectable “depot” preparations of antipsychotic medications have been used as an alternative to oral medication therapy for patients with low adherence to therapy. Nowadays the use of long acting second generation antipsychotic therapy is focused on improving quality of life and patients’ subjective experience of drug therapy.

To evaluate the impact of long acting second generation antipsychotic therapy on patients’ psychopathology, quality of life, subjective experience of drug and cognitive performance.

20 adult male and female outpatients aged 21-53 attending the Psychiatric Unit of the University of Florence under therapy with oral second generation antipsychotics were recruited and were switched to long acting second generation antipsychotics (Zypadhera, Risperdal depot and Xeplion). Patients were assessed by means of Psychometric Tests, Neurocognitive Tests and blood tests at recruitment, after 6 months and after 12 months.

A first clinical evaluation is indicating an improvement in quality of life especially regarding patients’ subjective experience of drug and a decrease of side effects like sedation and blunted affect. Furthermore, preliminary data show a reduction of bodyweight in patients who initially gained weight during oral antipsychotic therapy.

Long acting second generation antipsychotic therapy seems to be a valid alternative in patients who have been stabilized on oral antipsychotics, since it has a similar efficacy and furthermore it offers a better quality of life by reducing side effects of oral antipsycotics.