Trude Seselie Jahr Iversen1, Nils Eiel Steen2, Ingrid Dieset3, Sigrun Hope4, Ragni Mørch3, Erlend Strand Gardsjord3, Kjetil Nordbø Jørgensen5, Ingrid Melle3, Ole A Andreassen3, Espen Molden6, Erik G Jönsson7. 1. NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Center for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: t.s.j.iversen@medisin.uio.no. 2. NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Center for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Drammen District Psychiatric Center, Clinic of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway. 3. NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Center for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. 4. NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Center for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Neurohabilitation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. 5. NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Center for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway. 6. Center for Psychopharmacology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway. 7. NORMENT K.G. Jebsen Center for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatric Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Antipsychotic-associated side effects are well known and represent a significant treatment challenge. Still, few large studies have investigated the overall side effect burden of antipsychotics in real-life settings. OBJECTIVE: To describe the occurrence of side effects and perceived burden of antipsychotics in a large naturalistic sample, taking polypharmacy and patient characteristics into account. METHOD: Patients (n=1087) with psychotic disorders were assessed for side effects using the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser (UKU) side effect rating scale in addition to assessment of clinical and pharmacological data. Statistical analyses were performed controlling for possible confounding factors. RESULTS: Use of antipsychotics showed significant associations to neurologic and sexual symptoms, sedation and weight gain, and >75% of antipsychotics-users reported side effects. More side effects were observed in patients using several antipsychotics (p=0.002), with increasing total dose (p=0.021) and with antipsychotics in combinations with other psychotropic drugs. Patients and investigators evaluated the side effect burden differently, particularly related to severity, gender and antipsychotics dose. Twice as many females described side effect burden as severe (p=0.004). CONCLUSION: Patients with psychotic disorders have a high occurrence of symptoms associated with use of antipsychotics, and polypharmacy and female gender are seemingly risk factors for reporting a severe side effect burden. Due to the cross-sectional design evaluation of causality is tentative, and these findings should be further investigated in prospective studies.
BACKGROUND: Antipsychotic-associated side effects are well known and represent a significant treatment challenge. Still, few large studies have investigated the overall side effect burden of antipsychotics in real-life settings. OBJECTIVE: To describe the occurrence of side effects and perceived burden of antipsychotics in a large naturalistic sample, taking polypharmacy and patient characteristics into account. METHOD:Patients (n=1087) with psychotic disorders were assessed for side effects using the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser (UKU) side effect rating scale in addition to assessment of clinical and pharmacological data. Statistical analyses were performed controlling for possible confounding factors. RESULTS: Use of antipsychotics showed significant associations to neurologic and sexual symptoms, sedation and weight gain, and >75% of antipsychotics-users reported side effects. More side effects were observed in patients using several antipsychotics (p=0.002), with increasing total dose (p=0.021) and with antipsychotics in combinations with other psychotropic drugs. Patients and investigators evaluated the side effect burden differently, particularly related to severity, gender and antipsychotics dose. Twice as many females described side effect burden as severe (p=0.004). CONCLUSION:Patients with psychotic disorders have a high occurrence of symptoms associated with use of antipsychotics, and polypharmacy and female gender are seemingly risk factors for reporting a severe side effect burden. Due to the cross-sectional design evaluation of causality is tentative, and these findings should be further investigated in prospective studies.
Authors: Rajiv Tandon; William R Lenderking; Catherine Weiss; Huda Shalhoub; Carla Dias Barbosa; Jun Chen; Mallik Greene; Stine R Meehan; Laëtitia Bouérat Duvold; Celso Arango; Ofer Agid; David Castle Journal: Ann Gen Psychiatry Date: 2020-07-13 Impact factor: 3.455