Atypical Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Substance-related Psychotic Disorders

Abstract

In recent years, substance-related disorders have become an important public health problem due to the effects of substance use on the nervous system later in life periods. Substance-related disorders are basically divided into two categories; substance use disorders and substance-induced disorders. Substance-related disorders consist of substance intoxication, substance withdrawal and other substance-induced disorders such as substance-induced psychotic disorders. The possibility of conversion of substance use disorders to chronic psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disease reveals the importance of its diagnosis and treatment. In related cases, it is important to make distinction between the primer psychotic disorder and substance related disorder for correct diagnosis and effective treatment. Current treatment options for psychotic disorders caused by the substance include the use of typical (classic) and atypical antipsychotics. Nowadays, atypical antipsychotics are the primary drug of choice in the treatment of substance-induced psychotic disorders, not only because of their positive impacts on psychotic symptoms but also because of their reducing effect on substance craving and seeking and fewer extrapyramidal side effects compared to typical antipsychotics. This review aims to explain the pathogenesis of substance-related psychotic disorders and to discuss the atypical antipsychotics used in the treatment within the framework of current literature.