Effect of Transition to Long-acting Injectable Antipsychotic Treatment on Care Burden in Schizophrenia

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to investigate the difference of transition from oral to long-acting antipsychotic treatments on caregiver burden of patients with schizophrenia. Other factors that may be related to the burden were also discussed. Caregivers (n:138) of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia for at least one year and who received oral paliperidone or aripiprazole were included in the study. The Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale (ZCBS) and The Clinical Global Impression-Disease Severity (CGI-S) were administered at baseline and 1 year after switching to long-acting injectables. Demographic characteristics of caregivers and patients were evaluated to determine other factors associated with the burden. Significant decreases were found in the ZCBS and CGI-S scores after transitioning to long-acting injectable antipsychotics. When the groups using paliperidone and aripiprazole were compared; the decrease in ZCBS scores was not significant, the decrease in CGI-S scores was significant.Caregiver burden was positively correlated with patient's age, CGI-S score, time spent in the same house, duration of illness, and the number of hospitalizations. A significant negative correlation was found among the caregiver’s age, educational level and income. In conclusion, in the present study the importance of switching to long-acting injectable antipsychotics, which is a modifiable factor, to reduce caregiver burden was emphasized.

Keywords

• schizophrenia
• long-acting injection treatment
• caregiver
• caregiver burden