Medication Reduces Violence in Some Schizophrenics (HealthDay)

THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Taking prescriptionmedications can help reduce violent behavior in some schizophreniapatients, Duke researchers report.

It included 1,445 schizophrenia patients randomly selected to receiveone of five antipsychotic medications: olanzapine, perphenanize,quetiapine, risperidone or ziprasidone.

Patient violence declined significantly when patients took theirmedications as prescribed, but only among patients whose prior risk forviolence could be linked to psychotic problems. There was little or noimprovement in a subgroup of patients with a history of childhood conductproblems who were more likely to be violent at the start of the study.

The study also found that older antipsychotics are as effective asnewer drugs in reducing violent behavior.

"Contrary to the expectations of many clinicians and some research,this study found no benefit for newer medications over an older medicationin reducing the risk for violence over the six-month study period," studyauthor Jeffrey Swanson, a professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences,said in a prepared statement. "In fact, one of the newer medications,quetiapine, performed worse than the first-generation drugperphenanize."

The findings were published in the July issue of the British Journalof Psychiatry.

"This is the first large randomized controlled study to compare theeffectiveness of several commonly prescribed medications for schizophreniaon reducing community violence," Swanson said. "Serious violent behavioris not frequent among people with schizophrenia, but when it does occur,the results can be costly and tragic."

"In the past, we've not understood very well why a small proportion ofpatients with schizophrenia become seriously violent, while most do not -- and why medication seems to prevent violent behavior in some and notothers," study co-author Marvin Swartz, a professor of psychiatry, said ina prepared statement.

"These findings tell us that people with schizophrenia may behaveviolently for reasons not directly related to their mental illness. Ifthat's the case, then treatment for psychotic symptoms alone may noteliminate the risk of violence," Swartz said.

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