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Antidepressant for substance-abusing schizophrenic patients: a minireview.
S G Siris1, P C Bermanzohn, S E Mason
1Hillside Hospital Division of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, N.Y.
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Antidepressant medications may help manage substance abuse and post-psychotic depression in schizophrenia patients. Ruling out medication side effects like akinesia is crucial for effective treatment.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Schizophrenia frequently co-occurs with substance abuse and post-psychotic depression.
- Patients may self-medicate depressive symptoms with substances, complicating treatment.
- Antidepressants show utility in treating substance abuse and post-psychotic depression independently.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential benefits of adjunctive antidepressant medication in schizophrenic patients with co-occurring substance abuse and depression.
- To investigate the role of antidepressants in managing dysphoric symptoms in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- Review of preliminary evidence on adjunctive antidepressant use.
- Consideration of neuroleptic-induced akinesia as a confounding factor.
- Emphasis on empirical trials of antiparkinsonian medication.
Main Results:
- Preliminary evidence suggests adjunctive antidepressants may benefit stable, dysphoric, substance-abusing schizophrenic patients.
- Ruling out neuroleptic-induced akinesia is essential for accurate assessment.
Conclusions:
- Adjunctive antidepressant medication warrants consideration for specific schizophrenic patients with substance abuse and depression.
- Thorough assessment for and management of medication side effects, such as akinesia, are critical for treatment success.