Treatment of schizophrenia evaluated via the pharmacopsychometric triangle-An integrative approach with emphasis on well-being and functioning

Pernille Kølbæk; Ole Mors; Christoph U Correll; Søren D Østergaard

doi:10.1038/s41537-023-00420-6

Treatment of schizophrenia evaluated via the pharmacopsychometric triangle-An integrative approach with emphasis on well-being and functioning

Schizophrenia (Heidelb). 2023 Dec 16;9(1):88. doi: 10.1038/s41537-023-00420-6.

Authors

Pernille Kølbæk^{1

2}, Ole Mors^{3

4}, Christoph U Correll^{5

6

7}, Søren D Østergaard^{3

4

8}

Affiliations

¹ Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital-Psychiatry, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 175, 8200, Aarhus, Denmark. perpet@rm.dk.
² Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark. perpet@rm.dk.
³ Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital-Psychiatry, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 175, 8200, Aarhus, Denmark.
⁴ Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark.
⁵ Division of Psychiatry Research, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, 75-59 263rd Street, Glen Oaks, NY, 11004, USA.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra Blvd, Hempstead, NY, 11549, USA.
⁷ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charite Universitätsmedizin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
⁸ Department of Affective Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital-Psychiatry, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 175, 8200, Aarhus, Denmark.

Abstract

Quantification of treatment response is crucial to optimize outcomes for patients with schizophrenia. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between quantitative measures of clinician-rated symptom severity and self-rated side effects, well-being, and functioning among inpatients with schizophrenia using the six-item version of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-6), the Glasgow Antipsychotic Side-effect Scale (GASS), the WHO-Five Well-being Index (WHO-5), and the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). All measurements were conducted as close to admission and discharge as possible. Well-being and functioning were found to be most strongly associated with the additive effect of symptoms and side effects, while changes in side effects, well-being, and functioning appeared to be relatively independent from changes in symptom severity. The use of both symptom and side effect measures should inform clinical decision-making in the treatment of schizophrenia, as it has the potential to optimize functioning and well-being.