[Follow-up treatment of schizophrenic psychoses: advantages and disadvantages of long-term medication]

Abstract

In completely remitted schizophrenic patients with formerly paranoid-hallucinatory symptoms, the reoccurrence of relapses can be reduced in an extremely high percentage by relatively low neuroleptic long-term treatment specifically adjusted to each patient. Without medication there is an extremely high rate of relapses to be expected. In prophylactic neuroleptic medication the dose must be calculated individually. The depressive syndrome, which can be observed in higher therapeutic dosages, will then be less frequent. The social handicap due to side-effects of prophylactic treatment is more tolerable than the risk of relapse. The follow-up records of the patients treated with long-term medication of the active drug show that, in spite of side-effects, occupational resocialisation and personal stabilisation could be established more easily than in the placebo group. By close psycho-social after-care a high percentage of relapses can be handled in out-patients.