Evaluation of antipsychotic side effects on schizophrenia patients at Dr Radjiman Wediodiningrat Hospital, Indonesia

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia is the most common mental illness with a poor prognosis. Antipsychotics are the major treatment for Schizophrenia. Objective: This study examines schizophrenia patients' side effects and antipsychotic medication. Method: A retrospective study with cross-sectional observational analysis was conducted in June 2023, with only the data from schizophrenia patients in Dr. Radjiman Wediodiningrat Hospital, Indonesia. Data were collected from the prescription records of schizophrenia inpatients from January to June 2023. The Chi-square test was used to analyse and measure the relationship between the incidence of adverse events with antipsychotics in schizophrenia patients. Result: Schizophrenia inpatients were majority male (74.7%) and the age 18-35 years was 41%. This study showed that the pattern of prescription of antipsychotics is atypical monotherapy (37.6%) and combinations (24.9%) were the most antipsychotics prescribed. Most of the schizophrenia outpatients have extrapyramidal syndrome side effects (31.9%), such as rigidity (12.2%), tremor (3.5%), dystonia (6.6%), and other side effects (11.8%). Conclusion: This study highlighted that atypical antipsychotics were the most common choice for treatment in the inpatient setting. Atypical have a lower risk of extrapyramidal side effects than typical. The negative effects of atypical antipsychotics, including metabolic syndrome, have not been identified. Thus, more research is required.