Objective: To review the concept of 'subjective well-being under neuroleptic treatment', its development and clinical relevance,particularly regarding compliance.
Method: The manuscript includes a review of the limited literature and recent open and controlled clinical trials.
Results: The patients' perspective of antipsychotic treatment was largely neglected for a long time. Scientific interest in this field of strong clinical relevance started mainly with the development of atypical antipsychotics. Recent research indicates that subjective well-being (SW) is a major determinant of medication compliance in schizophrenia. There are several self-report instruments with sufficient internal consistency and good construct validity. Effects of antipsychotic treatment on psychopathology and SW are only partly related. Most patients strongly prefer the atypical over typical antipsychotics. The assessment of SW is helpful for selecting the optimal drug for the individual patient.
Conclusion: SW, under antipsychotic treatment, is a valid construct; its assessment provides an independent outcome variable, which is relevant to compliance.