IMPACT OF HALOPERIDOL AND OLANZAPINE ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA
BIR SINGH CHAVAN
Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India
AJEET SIDANA
Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India
ROMIKA DHAR
Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India
ROHIT GARG *
Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India
JASBINDER KAUR
Department of Biochemistry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Introduction: Quality of life is as an important aspect of recovery in patients with schizophrenia. However, no study from India has compared change in quality of life after treatment with typical and atypical antipsychotics.
Objectives: To compare the change in quality of life with haloperidol and olanzapine in patients with schizophrenia.
Methods: 40 patients with paranoid schizophrenia were randomized to receive either haloperidol or olanzapine. Assessments were made at baseline, 3 months and 6 months after starting antipsychotics using positive and negative syndrome scale for schizophrenia and Hindi version of the WHO quality of life scale Bref.
Results: Both the drugs led to improvement in psychopathology as well as quality of life at all the assessment points. While comparing the groups, statistically significant difference in favor of olanzapine was found on the domain 2 (satisfaction with health) of WHO QoL Bref scale. Much greater number of patients in the haloperidol group required benzodiazepines and anticholinergics.
Conclusions: Antipsychotics lead to improvement in quality of life and psychopathology in patients with schizophrenia. Assessment of quality of life should be an integral part of management planning for persons with schizophrenia.
Keywords: Antipsychotics, atypical, haloperidol, olanzapine, quality of life, schizophrenia