[Medication in acute psychiatric treatment].

The aim of the study - undertaken at eight psychiatric hospitals in Hessen - was to analyse the practice in psychopharmacological treatment of schizophrenia and suicidal tendencies. The results indicate that inpatient antipsychotic treatment practice significantly differs from current therapeutic guidelines. Atypical neuroleptic medication is prescribed to a much lesser extent than would have been expected, especially regarding the official therapeutic guidelines. The inpatient treatment practice of acute suicide in severe depression, on the other hand, is concomitant with the therapeutic guidelines. The results are discussed and the development of guidelines for inpatient routine - oriented towards the current guidelines for psychopharmaceutical treatment - is suggested.