Factors associated with achieving minimally symptomatic status by patients with schizophrenia: results from the 3-year intercontinental schizophrenia outpatients health outcomes study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe factors associated with achieving a minimally symptomatic status outcome in outpatients with schizophrenia.
METHODS: Data were analysed from a 3-year, prospective observational study that examined outcomes in 7658 patients with schizophrenia. Minimally symptomatic status was defined as a postbaseline score of 1 or 2 on the Clinical Global Impressions Severity Scale-Schizophrenia version (CGI-SCH).
RESULTS: Baseline CGI-SCH score had the strongest association with minimally symptomatic status followed by age, geographical region and hospitalisation status. The probability of becoming minimally symptomatic was consistently higher in the olanzapine and risperidone monotherapy groups compared with the clozapine, quetiapine or haloperidol groups [corrected]. The olanzapine group achieved the minimally symptomatic status in a shorter period of time than the other treatment groups (p < or = 0.016).
CONCLUSION: The likelihood of patients achieving a minimally symptomatic status was greater in younger patients with lower baseline clinical severity and in patients whose treatment included olanzapine.