Social and Clinical Factors Associated With Antipsychotic Medication Discontinuation in Patients With Schizophrenia

This study aims to identify social and clinical factors associated with antipsychotic medication discontinuation in patients with schizophrenia.

This cross-sectional case-control study comprised 111 schizophrenia patients, including 55 who discontinued medication on their own initiative and 56 matched continuous-treatment patients. Assessed factors covered demographics, clinical profiles, and scores from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), and the Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scale.

Patients in the discontinuation group demonstrated significantly higher employment rates (χ² = 24.514, p < 0.001) and marriage rates (χ² = 14.970, p = 0.002) compared to those in the continuous treatment group. The continuous treatment group had more episodes (p < 0.001) and severe symptoms (PANSS, p < 0.001) with lower cognitive (RBANS, p = 0.001) and social functioning scores (PSP, p < 0.001) compared to the discontinuation group. Regression analysis revealed that fewer episodes (β = 2.799, p = 0.018) and lower PANSS negative symptom scores (β = 0.533, p = 0.011) were associated with a greater likelihood of medication discontinuation.

The discontinuation group exhibited milder schizophrenia symptoms and higher social functioning than the continuation group. Furthermore, patients with fewer episodes and milder negative symptoms were more likely to discontinue medication.