[Depot neuroleptics in social psychiatric practice]

In recent years, depot neuroleptics have gained in importance in the outpatient treatment of chronic schizophrenics. These neuroleptics make drug therapy safer than before, thus improving the prerequisites for socio-therapeutic and rehabilitative measures. The present study analyses the ranking and value of this kind of treatment in the management of outpatients. A random sample of 80 schizophrenics treated as outpatients, by a psychiatric university clinic working on a sectorial basis was examined for the purpose of this study. Treatment results, problems of indication, limitations of therapeutic possibilities using depot neuroleptics, as well as constellative conditions under which therapy was discontinued, are discussed.