[Psychiatric pharmacotherapy of older individuals with severe mental illness]

Abstract

Background: Chronic schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorders, among other chronic psychiatric disorders with onset at youth or early adulthood are often referred to as severe mental illness (SMI). Aging with SMI is associated with various psychosocial, physiological, and medical problems with potential impact on psychiatric pharmacotherapy.

Objectives: Determination and discussion of problems and special features of the psychopharmacological treatment of older persons with SMI and presentation of treatment recommendations for the distinct diagnoses.

Materials and methods: International literature and guidelines were searched. In addition, the basic literature and expert opinions are discussed.

Results: General problems that influence the psychiatric pharmacotherapy of older persons with SMI include nonadherence, nonresponse, polypharmacy, and distinct pharmacokinetic changes with aging and somatic comorbidity. Psychotropic drugs may exhibit cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuropsychiatric risks, among others. The literature regarding effectiveness of psychotropic drugs, drug groups, or combination of drugs in older patients with SMI is scarce to nonexistent.

Conclusions: Drug treatment of older persons with SMI should be part of an overall treatment plan that also has to include social and psychotherapeutic components that address the specific problems of this population. Most importantly, psychiatric pharmacotherapy should consider these risks and the treatment should be tailored to a patient's individual risk profile. Due to a general lack of evidence in this special population, treatment strategies of standard guidelines should be adjusted with special consideration to physiological changes of age.

Keywords: Bipolar disorder; Chronic depression; Pharmacotherapy; Schizophrenia; Severe mental illness.