The expectation of outcome from maintenance therapy in chronic schizophrenic patients.

The results from a prospective follow-up study of a group of schizophrenic patients suggest that a significant proportion (41 per cent) are likely to relapse during a two-year period despite the prescription of long-acting injectable neuroleptic drugs. Some will relapse because of a failure of the regime, but others (32-37 per cent) because the pharmacological protection of these drugs would appear to be less effective in certain patients. Even with the major advantages of the long-acting injectable neuroleptics over oral medication, the schizophrenic patient population remains a group with a high incidence of psychiatric and social morbidity which continues to require the full resources of both the hospital and community services.