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Review
. 2013 Sep;39(5):962-5.
doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbt034. Epub 2013 Mar 19.

Does long-term treatment of schizophrenia with antipsychotic medications facilitate recovery?

Martin Harrow  1 , Thomas H Jobe
Affiliations
Review

Does long-term treatment of schizophrenia with antipsychotic medications facilitate recovery?

Martin Harrow et al. Schizophr Bull. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

Antipsychotic medications are viewed as cornerstones for both the short-term and long-term treatment of schizophrenia. However, evidence on long-term (10 or more years) efficacy of antipsychotics is mixed. Double-blind discontinuation studies indicate significantly more relapses in unmedicated schizophrenia patients in the first 6-10 months, but also present some potentially paradoxical features. These issues are discussed.

Keywords: longitudinal studies; outcome; psychosis; unmedicated patients.

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References

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