Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T17:21:48.727Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Drug Withdrawal in Male and Female Chronic Schizophrenics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

M. H. Abenson*
Affiliation:
Sefton General Hospital, Liverpool, 15

Extract

Although the value of phenothiazines is without question in the treatment of acute schizophrenia, their value in chronic schizophrenia is questionable. Cawley (1) states that social and environmental factors become more prominent for symptom relief and social adjustment with increasing chronicity. Both Ekblom and Lassenius (2) and Simon et al. (7), who did long-term follow-up studies on drug-treated schizophrenics, found only slight improvement when compared with control groups. Letemendia and Harris (4) found no significant improvement on phenothiazine treatment of previously untreated chronic schizophrenics when compared with a control group. On the other hand Kelly and Sargant (3) found a distinct improvement after two years in a group of phenothiazine-treated patients, who were compared with earlier admissions to the same hospital before the introduction of drugs. However, whilst Pritchard (6) found the short term prognosis was better for phenothiazine-treated schizophrenics when compared with patients admitted prior to introduction of these drugs, he found the three-year follow-up produced little difference.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1969 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Cawley, R. H. (1967). ‘The present status of physical methods of treatment of schizophrenia.’ In Recent Advances in Schizophrenia. p. 97. (Ed. Coppen, A., and Walk, A.) Headley Brothers: Ashford, Kent.Google Scholar
2. Ekblom, B., and Lassenius, B. (1964). ‘A follow up examination of patients with chronic schizophrenia, who were treated during a long period with psychopharmacological drugs.Acta psychiat. Scand., 40, 249.Google Scholar
3. Kelly, D. H. W., and Sargant, W. (1965). ‘Present treatment of schizophrenia—a controlled follow up study.Brit. med. J., ii, 147.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4. Letemendia, F. J. J., and Harris, A. D. (1967). ‘Chlorpromazine and the untreated chronic schizophrenicBrit. J. Psychiat., 113, 950.Google Scholar
5. Lorr, M., O'Connor, J. P., and Stafford, W. J. (1960). ‘The psychotic reaction profile.J. clin. Psychol., 16, 241.3.0.CO;2-F>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Pritchard, M. (1967). ‘Prognosis of schizophrenia before and after pharmacotherapy. I: Short term outcome. II: Three year follow-up.Brit. J. Psychiat., 113, 1345.Google Scholar
7. Simon, W., Wirt, A. L., and Halloran, W. V. (1965). ‘Long term follow up study of schizophrenia patients.Arch. gen. Psychiat. (Chic.), 12, 510.Google Scholar
8. Wing, J. K. (1963). ‘A simple and reliable sub-classification of chronic schizophrenia.J. ment. Sci., 107, 862.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.