[Attitude of family to neuroleptics]

The present study is based on the assumption that for patients' compliance with psychotropic medication is also of importance their closest relatives' attitude towards that treatment.

In the context of a mail survey of relatives of people with schizophrenia, we asked what the relatives considered to be the most important positive and negative effects of the medication.

As expected, the main benefit was seen in the reduction of symptoms and in the prevention of relapse. In addition, the improvement of social adaptation and the subjective quality of life of the patients were also cited as important positive effects. Beside these effects which are closely related to the treatment of the disorder, respondents mentioned effects which can help to facilitate their living together with their ill relative. Among the side effects regarded as particularly unpleasant for the patients, sedation ranked first, followed by weight gain and extra-pyramidal motor symptoms.

The results are contrasted with those of a comparable study of people with schizophrenia.