The impact of prolactin elevation with antipsychotic medications on subjective quality of life in patients with schizophrenia.

Abstract

In this cross-sectional study, the author tested the hypothesis that prolactin elevation with antipsychotic medications was associated with low subjective quality-of-life scores in patients with schizophrenia. The subjects were 42 male inpatients meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, criteria for schizophrenia on typical antipsychotics. No correlations were found between prolactin or testosterone and the 3 subscales in the Japanese version of the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale. Multiple regression analyses showed total variance in the ratings of 3 subscales in the Japanese version of the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale as follows: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) anxiety/depression factor, dosage of antipsychotics and BPRS hostile/suspiciousness factor in the psychosocial subscale (adjusted R2 = 0.394), BPRS anxiety/depression factor and dose of antipsychotics in the motivation/energy subscale (adjusted R2 = 0.475), and dose of antipsychotics and BPRS anergia factor in the symptoms/side effects subscale (adjusted R2 = 0.206). The results did not support the hypothesis.