Socio-demographic correlates of treatment response among patients with schizophrenia in a tertiary hospital in South-East Nigeria

• Published in: African health sciences Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 1036 - 1044
• Main Authors: Ezeme, Mark S, Uwakwe, Richard, Ndukuba, Appolos C, Igwe, Monday N, Odinka, Paul C, Amadi, Kennedy, Obayi, Nichodemus O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Uganda Makerere University Medical School 01-01-2016; Makerere Medical School
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age of Onset; Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use; Demographics; Drug therapy; Employment - statistics & numerical data; Family Relations; Female; Humans; Male; Medical treatment; Mental health; Middle Aged; Nigeria; Patients; Research methodology; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - drug therapy; Severity of Illness Index; Socio-demographic correlates; Socioeconomic Factors; South-East Nigeria; Tertiary Care Centers; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult; Nigeria; Socio-demographic correlates; South-East Nigeria; schizophrenia
• ISSN: 1680-6905; 1729-0503; 1680-6905
• DOI: 10.4314/ahs.v16i4.21

Background: Many patients with schizophrenia respond poorly to
antipsychotic medication. Few studies have systematically examined the
relationship of social and demographic characteristics of these
patients to treatment response in our environment. Objective: To
identify the social and demographic variables associated with treatment
response in patients with schizophrenia. Method: A total of 172
participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia receiving antipsychotics
took part in the study. Participants were consecutively recruited
involving patients presenting for the first time, or relapsed patients
who had stopped antipsychotics in the previous six months. Both
in-patients and out-patients who met the inclusion criteria were
studied. Socio-demographic interview schedule and the Positive and
Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were administered at the initial
encounter and between 4 and 6 weeks, subsequently. Results: Defining
good treatment response as ≥ 20% reduction in PANSS score, 68%
had a good response while 32% had poor response. Good response to
treatment was associated with late age of onset of illness,
satisfactory family relationship, acquisition of skilled occupation and
being married. However, there was no association between treatment
response and gender. Conclusion: Knowledge about these variables in
relation to treatment response would improve mental health services as
regards articulation of prognosis and psycho education.