Subjective response to antipsychotics in schizophrenic patients: clinical implications and related factors

Awad defined subjective response to medication as the subjective interpretation of the physiological changes that follow its intake. This response is involved in drug compliance and may relate to clinical outcome of the disease. This study examined the variables hypothesized to be related to subjective response to antipsychotics. Sixty schizophrenic in-patients were evaluated with a protocol that examined compliance, hospitalizations, psychopathology, familial and social relationships, degree of autonomy and motivation for life during the year prior to the study. Overall functioning in the previous year was assessed with the Global Assessment Scale (GAS), psychopathology with the Brief Psychopathology Rating Scale (BPRS), insight with the Birchwood scale and side-effects with the Uscandinavian Kociety of Usypharmacology (UKU) side-effects rating scale. Subjective response was evaluated with the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-30). The multiple regression analysis revealed that insight and the BPRS paranoid subscale predicted subjective response to antipsychotics (R2=0.31). No relationship was found between subjective response and sociodemographic variables or side-effects. A positive subjective response was related to drug compliance and variables that indicate a more benign clinical course over the previous year. Subjective response to antipsychotics in schizophrenia is related to insight and paranoid ideation.