Original scientific paper
The Impact of Novel Antipsychotic Drugs on Quality of Life Among People Suffering from Schizophrenia
Vlado Jukić
Vesna Barić
Jadranka Čulav-Sumić
Miroslav Herceg
Željko Majdančić
Maja Werft-Čop
Abstract
More attention is increasingly being paid to quality of life of people suffering from
schizophrenia. The results of numerous clinical trials indicate that novel antipsychotic
drugs are as efficient (if not more so) than the conventional drugs. Novel drugs also
cause fewer side effects and allow for better quality of life. In order to confirm these thesis
we have studied the quality of life of 80 female outpatients in good social remission
that have been under psychiatric evaluation for at least six months and were on antipsychotic
drugs. Of those 80 outpatients, half were on the conventional medication, while
the other half were on the novel antipsychotic drugs. Their life quality was evaluated
with the questionnaire »Heinrichs-Hanlon-Carpenter – Quality of life questionnaire«,
which is one of the most frequently used QL scales. The results demonstrate that the
only difference between the two groups lies in the field of social activity. While leaving
the question of different influence of novel and conventional drugs open, the authors are
trying to find the possible reasons for such results.
Keywords
schizophrenia; antipsychotic drugs; quality of life
Hrčak ID:
28122
URI
Publication date:
26.6.2003.
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