The goals with modern treatment of schizophrenia are to achieve remission of clinical symptoms, prevent relapse, and to restore the patients’ functions.

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of treatment with the partial dopamine agonist aripiprazole on functions, measured as time spent for work or studies, in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

Retrospective data on employment and study activities were collected for all patients between 18–65 years with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder at an open care psychosis clinic in Sweden (n = 104). Possible impact of treatment with aripiprazole and of other variables, such as age, gender, and disease severity, was analysed.

Among patients who worked or studied at Day of admission (n = 36), the probability of maintaining or increasing time for work or studies was significantly higher in patients treated with aripiprazole compared with patients who were not (88% versus 53%; P = 0.020). This difference remained significant after controlling for severity of symptoms, age and sex. A secondary analysis, including all patients (independent of work or study status at Day of admission) also showed a significant difference in favour of aripiprazole (53% versus 26%, P = 0.005).

The results indicate that patients treated with aripiprazole (monotherapy or add-on) have higher probability of maintaining functional capacity. A plausible explanation might be aripiprazole's favourable effect on cognitive functions.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.