Understanding beliefs and concerns of patients with schizophrenia and their caregivers, regarding treatment options, is key to improving their care. Perceived fears can impact adherence to therapy and represent a barrier to prescribers when discussing treatment decisions.

Explore patient and caregiver awareness of and satisfaction with available treatment options.

Independent market research agency commissioned by Janssen, performed an online European survey in 2016 to capture demographics, awareness of available therapies, current treatment satisfaction and adherence from patients with schizophrenia and caregivers.

Results from 166 patients with schizophrenia and 468 caregivers from 12 European countries (France, Germany, UK, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Russia, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands). One-fifth of patients reported they have not discussed alternative treatment options with their healthcare professional (HCP) despite 37% of patients being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their current therapy. HCPs were considered as the primary information source for the majority of patients (73%), although 27% of patients and 25% of caregivers believed that HCPs were not fully aware of all available treatment options. Moreover, 68% of patients treated with oral antipsychotics confirmed they would consider switching to a long-acting antipsychotic treatment, though 32% reported they have not been made aware of it as an option. Many caregivers (46%) reported dissatisfaction with their level of involvement in treatment decisions.

This survey underlines the critical role HCPs play in providing relevant information on treatment alternatives and emphasize the need for an open dialogue on available treatment options between HCPs, patients and caregivers.

Pierre Cherubin is a full-time Janssen employee working within the Medical Affairs Department.

The other authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The relationship between subjective appraisal of cognitive deficits and symptom severity in schizophrenia is unclear. Insight reportedly impacts on both factors. Our aim is to further asses the relationship between the subjective perception of cognitive deficits, symptom severity and lack of Insight as a mediator variable.

A total of 109 subject diagnosed with schizophrenia. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was modelled as dependent variable; Subjective Scale to Investigate Cognition in Schizophrenia (SSTICS) was modeled as independent variable and “Lack of Insight” (LoI) PANSS Item was tested as a mediator variable. Mediation was assessed using the Sobel Mediation Test.

LoI acts as a suppressor variable (i.e. it enhances the relation between the independent and dependent variable) between SSTICS and negative symptoms, while showing a mediator effect between SSTICS and depressive symptoms.

LoI has a central role in mediating the relationship between subjective appraisal of cognitive deficits on the one hand and positive and depressed symptoms on the other. Its suppressor role between SSTICS and depression is consistent with several reports of an enhanced risk of depression in patients fully aware of their disability. Its mediator role between STICSS and positive symptoms supports the centrality of LoI as a metacognitive function whose failure may worsen psychotic symptoms.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Increased somatic morbidities in schizophrenic patients and their association with HRQoL are well documented. Less is known about their association with schizophrenia treatment outcome.

To explore whether the number of somatic comorbidities is associated with poorer psychosis treatment outcome independently of psychiatric comorbidities and other clinical and socio-demographic parameters.

To improve understanding of association of somatic morbidities on treatment outcome of schizophrenic patients.

This nested-cross-sectional study was done during 2016 at Psychiatric hospital Sveti Ivan, Zagreb-Croatia on the sample of 301 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Outcomes were the number of psychiatric rehospitalizations since primary psychiatric diagnosis and the composite of significant improvement measured by CGI-S and the best self-rated health defined as 4th quartile of EQ-5D-5L VAS. Predictors were number of somatic and psychiatric comorbidities. By logistic regression, we controlled socio-demographic and clinical confounders.

Having two or more somatic comorbidities was significantly associated with the failure to achieve the composite of improvement. The number of somatic comorbidities was significantly associated with increase in psychiatric hospitalizations, even after the adjustment for psychiatric comorbidities and large number of clinical and socio-demographic variables.

Chronic somatic comorbidities are associated with poorer psychosis treatment outcome independently of psychiatric comorbidities and other factors. Therefore, to treat psychosis effectively it may be essential to treat chronic somatic comorbidities promptly and adequately. The integrative approach should be the imperative in clinical practice.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

To establish predictors of insight in patients with schizophrenia with regard to symptoms severity, executive functioning, level of education, marital status, age, and number of hospitalizations.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 60 consecutive outpatients with schizophrenia. Positive symptoms were established with 4-item Positive Symptom Ranking Scale (PSRS), and negative symptoms with Brief Negative Symptoms Assessment (BNSA). The level of insight was established with Self-Appraisal of Illness Questionnaire (SAIQ). Executive functions were established with Wisconsin card sorting test, and three verbal subtests from Wechler's Intelligence Test: information, similarities, and calculating. All neuropsychological tests were administered by psychologist educated in administration of these and other neuropsychological tools.

Predictive statistical model identifies age and illness duration as negative, and higher level of education, and being married as a positive predictors of insight with 38.5% variance explained. Scores on subscales “Similarities” and “Calculating” had positive association with insight score. Model explains 24.7% of variance. When model was adjusted on alpha 5% level of concluding only three significant positive predictors appears: higher level of education, higher score on “Similarities” subscale, and being married. Model explains 38.5% of variance.

Level of education and marital status, among all other factors, have important impact on level of insight in patients with schizophrenia.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Patients with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) for psychosis and patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have many overlapping symptoms and hence can be difficult to differentiate clinically.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the differential diagnosis between ARMS and ADHD could be improved by neuropsychological testing.

A total of 157 ARMS and 122 adult ADHD patients were recruited via the Basel Früherkennung von Psychosen (FePsy) study and the ADHD Special Consultations Unit of the University of Basel Psychiatric Hospital, respectively. Verbal learning and memory was tested with the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT), sustained attention with the Continuous performance test (CPT) and problem solving abilities with the Tower of Hanoi task. Group differences in neuropsychological performance were analyzed using generalized linear models, which included age and gender as covariates.

Adult ADHD patients recalled significantly fewer words in the CVLT (both after short and long delay) and had significantly more false alarms and omissions and longer reaction times in the CPT than ARMS patients.

Adult ADHD patients show larger deficits than ARMS patients in the domains of verbal memory and sustained attention, but not in problem solving abilities. This in line with current meta-analyses, which found that impairments in the domains of attention and verbal memory are of medium effect size in adult ADHD patients and of small effect size in ARMS patients. Our results suggest that measures of these domains can be exploited to improve the differential diagnosis between adult ADHD and ARMS patients.

The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.

The evolution of various pharmacological therapies for schizophrenia has given rise to several pharmacological models for the neuroreceptor targets of antipsychotics and the influence of various neuroreceptors on specific symptoms and side effects.

Experience in clinical practice affirms clozapine's position as the treatment of choice for patients with treatment-refractory schizophrenia. Unlike clozapine, risperidone has a more targeted profile of neurotransmitter binding, with particular predilection for dopamine and serotonin receptors. Risperidone is, to date, the most extensively documented clozapine augmentation agent.

The aim was to evaluate clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability of augmenting clozapine with risperidone in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 8-week trial, 10 patients unresponsive or partially responsive to 300 mg/day of clozapine monotherapy (n = 5) received a steady dose of 450 mg/day clozapine combined with or up to 4 mg/day of risperidone (n = 5). Patient psychopathology was assessed at 2-week intervals with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) improvement scale.

From baseline to week 4 and week 8, mean BPRS total and positive symptom subscale scores were reduced significantly in both groups, but the reductions were significantly greater with clozapine/risperidone treatment. Reductions in SANS scores were also significantly greater with clozapine/risperidone treatment than with clozapine monotherapy group. Clozapine/risperidone treatment did not induce additional weight gain or agranulocytosis compared with clozapine monotherapy treatment.

Clozapine augmentation with risperidone appears to be well tolerated, safe and may provide additional clinical benefit for patients who are nonresponsive or only partially responsive to clozapine alone.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Thirty percent of individuals with schizophrenia demonstrate obsessive compulsive symptoms (OCSs). There is conflicting data on the effects of antipsychotic medication on OCSs in schizophrenia. The delineation of the relationship of OCSs with positive, negative and general psychopathology symptoms has theoretical and treatment implications.

To investigate the relationship among OCSs with the symptoms clusters in schizophrenia.

We recruited 110 chronic schizophrenia patients and assessed OCSs (Yale-Brown Scale) and schizophrenia symptoms (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale). In order to investigate the relationship of OCSs with clusters of schizophrenia symptoms, we conducted correlation analyses between YBOCS total scores or obsession or compulsion subscores with the PANSS symptoms scores (total, positive, negative and general psychopathology) and the cognitive scores derived from CANTAB. We re-conducted these correlations for the sub groups with clinically detectable OCSs (YBOCS > 8) and clinically significant OCSs (YBOCS > 14).

The only significant correlation was that of scores of OCSs with PANSS general psychopathology scores (rho = 0.190, P = 0.047). Obsessions and compulsions did not significantly correlate with positive or negative symptom clusters. No significant correlation between OCSs and schizophrenia symptoms were detected in the subgroups with clinically detectable or significant OCSs.

OCSs appear to be a separate symptom cluster in the context of schizophrenia, suggesting that OCSs cannot be expected to be influenced by standard antipsychotic treatments.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Schizophrenia leads to functional deficits. A third of schizophrenia patients have obsessive compulsive symptoms (OCSs). The existing studies, which have investigated the effect of OCSs on social functioning (SF) of schizophrenia patients have produced contradictory findings and, interestingly, they have not adjusted for the role of executive functioning.

To investigate the predictive role of OCSs on SF in schizophrenia controlling for the effects of executive functioning.

In a cross-sectional study of 110 chronic schizophrenia patients we assessed OCSs (Yale-Brown Scale), SF (Strauss Carpenter Scale) and composite executive function (cognitive flexibility: Intra–extra dimensional set shifting task and planning: Stockings of Cambridge task) using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). We also measured total symptoms (PANSS total scores) and illness duration. Regression analysis tested the predicting role of OCSs (YBOCS total score) on functioning taking into account executive function (composite score) duration of illness and schizophrenia symptoms.

OCSs were associated with better SF (B = 0.099; 95% CI = 0.019, 0.180; t = 2.449; df = 88; P = 0.016). This result was driven by the association of OCSs with job functioning (B = 0.043; 95% CI = 0.006, 0.081; t = 2.289; df = 88; P = 0.024). Executive functions were not significantly associated with social functioning.

OCSs and not executive functions are associated with social functioning in schizophrenia. Future studies should examine whether OCSs represent a compensatory mechanism aiming at preserving social functioning in the disorder.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The clinical distinction between schizophrenia and affective psychoses is often not clear-cut, and very little is known about the effectiveness of treatments among patients having both schizophrenia and affective symptoms.

To study the comparative real-world effectiveness of antipsychotic treatments among patients having schizophrenia and affective symptoms.

We studied the risk of all-cause rehospitalization during use of specific antipsychotics during 1996–2012 among all patients who had been previously hospitalized with both schizophrenia and mood disorder diagnoses in Finland since 1987 (n = 28,015). We linked nation-wide databases on hospitalization, mortality, and filled prescriptions. The primary analysis was within-individual analysis, in which each individual was used as his/her own control to eliminate selection bias. The effect of concomitant psychotropic medications, and the temporal orders of exposure and non-exposure periods were adjusted.

When 22 specific antipsychotic treatments were compared with the most frequently used antipsychotic quetiapine, the lowest rehospitalization risks were observed during the treatment periods of olanzapine long-acting injection (LAI) (HR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.34–0.80), risperidone LAI (0.67; 0.56–0.81), and clozapine (0.68; 0.63–0.74). The worst outcome was observed for periciazine (1.19; 0.96–1.48) and no antipsychotic use (1.09; 1.04–1.13).

Olanzapine LAI, risperidone LAI, and clozapine use are associated with the lowest risk of rehospitalization among patients with schizophrenia and affective symptoms.

Jari Tiihonen has served as a consultant to The Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, F. Hoffman-La Roche, Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck, Organon, and Finnish Medicines Agency he has received fees for giving expert testimony to AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck, Otsuka and Pfizer lecture fees from AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck, Novartis, Otsuka, Pfizer and grants from Stanley Foundation and Sigrid Jusélius Foundation. Tiihonen is a member of advisory boards for AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Janssen-Cilag, and Otsuka, and has research collaboration with Lilly and Janssen. Markku Lähteenvuo is a major shareholder and board member at Genomi Solutions ltd, a Finnish based bioinformatics company. He has also received research grants or awards from Boehringer-Ingelheim, and is working as a coordinator for a research project funded by the Stanley Foundation. Fabian Hoti and Pia Vattulainen are employed by EPID Research, which is a contract research organization that performs commissioned pharmacoepidemiological studies and thus its employees have been and currently are working in collaboration with several pharmaceutical companies. Antti Tanskanen and Heidi Taipale have participated in research projects funded by Janssen with grants paid to the Karolinska Institutet.

F17464 is a new highly potent preferential D3 antagonist, 5-HT1A and weak D2 partial agonist, with confirmed antipsychotic-like activity in animal models. In healthy volunteers, F17464 had a good safety and tolerability profile. A PET-scan study determined a high D3 occupancy rate up to 22 h after a single dose.

The primary objective was to evaluate the efficacy of 40 mg/day of oral F17464 in comparison to placebo.

This double-blind, parallel group, multicenter study included patients with acute exacerbation of schizophrenia treated for 6 weeks as antipsychotic monotherapy. Patients were hospitalised for the first 3 weeks of treatment, then continued as outpatients.

The 144 randomized patients had a baseline PANSS mean (SD) total score was 89.6 (9.5). The change from baseline of PANSS total score to Day 43 on the FAS (LOCF), showed a statistically significant difference in favor of F17464 over placebo: adjusted mean (SE) change −13.5 (2.1) on F17464 and −7.8 (2.2) on placebo with a treatment effect estimate −5.7 (2.7). The 20% or 30% response rate was statistically higher in the F17464 group (47.2% and 25.0%) compared to the placebo group (30.6% and 13.9%). The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events was slightly higher in the F17464 group (70.8%) than in the placebo group (62.5%). There were no clinically-relevant hepatic, metabolic, or cardiovascular abnormalities. No EPS was reported under F17464.

This is the first D3 antagonist that proves efficacy. The results of this phase 2 study also demonstrate the favorable safety profile of F17674 when compared to placebo.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Despite the large scientific debate concerning potentially stigmatizing effects of informing an individual about being in an at-risk mental state (ARMS) for psychosis, studies investigating this topic are rare and quantitative assessment of this kind of stigmatization does not exist so far.

This study presents first results regarding potentially helpful or stigmatizing effects of being informed about an ARMS assessed with a newly developed quantitative self-rating (FePsy-Stigma questionnaire).

Forty ARMS patients participating in the prospective Basel Early Detection of Psychosis (FePsy) study as well as patients clinically assessed in the early detection service of the Psychiatric Services of Solothurn, completed the FePsy-Stigma questionnaire during their follow-up assessments at least six months after they had been informed about their increased risk of developing psychosis. The questionnaire was constructed based on a previous qualitative study and on adapted versions of formerly used instruments for assessing stigma in mental health (Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale, Personal Beliefs and Experiences Questionnaire).

Stigmatization appeared to be low overall except for social withdrawal due to suspected stigma. Stigma resistance, stereotype awareness and expected discrimination scored considerably higher than actually experienced discrimination, alienation and stereotype endorsement.

The results suggest that early detection services help individuals cope with symptoms and build certain resilience toward potential stigmatization, rather than enhancing or causing the latter. In line with previous studies, our results indicate that there is a considerable difference between expected and actually experienced discrimination as well as between stereotype awareness and stereotype endorsement.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Impairments in social behavior and cognition, such as the ability to identify others’ emotional state, are important features in schizophrenia. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) and are nonapeptides that influence social cognition and behavior. Previous studies have shown that the administration of intranasal AVP or OXT may affect the ability to recognize facial emotions. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a single dose of AVP or OXT on social cognition in patients with schizophrenia. The secondary objective of the study was to test for sex-specific effects of intranasal AVP and OXT administration on social cognition.

In this double-blind, placebo-control, cross-over study, 34 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder, received a dose of AVP, OXT or placebo in three separate meetings. Forty-five minutes after administration, subjects performed facial emotion recognition tasks.

There were no significant main effects of hormone administration on the ability to recognize facial emotions between treatment conditions. However, AVP administration resulted in sex-specific differences in emotion recognition. Specifically, in men, AVP administration reduced the ability to recognize angry faces. In women, AVP administration reduced the ability to recognize sad faces and improved the ability to recognize fearful faces.

These findings indicate that intranasal AVP may affect the recognition of facial emotions differently in men and women. Thus, AVP may increase the differences between men and women on social cognition.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

There is growing evidence indicating that the use of second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) treatments in psychosis is related to potential metabolic side effects. Previous studies have shown clear metabolic side effects at short-term (12 weeks). However, to detect clinically-relevant impairment in metabolic parameters a long-term follow-up is preferred.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aripiprazole, ziprasidone and quetiapine on metabolic measures in medication-naïve first episode psychosis patients after 1 year of treatment.

One hundred and sixty-eight, drug-naïve patients, suffering from a non-affective first episode of psychosis, were included in the present study. Patients were randomly assigned to quetiapine, ziprasidone or aripiprazole treatment lines. Weight and glucemic/lipid parameters were recorded at baseline and after 1 year of treatment. Other clinical and socio-demographic variables were recorded to eliminate potential confounding effects.

Weight (t = −10.85; P < 0.001), BMI (t = −11.38; P < 0.001), total cholesterol (t = −5.37; P < 0.001), LDL-cholesterol (t = −5.21; P < 0.001), triglycerides (t = −5.18; P < 0.001) and the triglyceride/HDL insulin resistance index (t = −4.09; P < 0.001), showed statistically significant increments after 1 year of treatment.

Moreover, on comparing the percentage of patients with pathological levels before and 1 year after the antipsychotic treatment, we detected higher percentages of patients with obesity (5.1% vs. 15.3%; P < 0.001), hypercholesterolemia (23.2% vs. 39.6%; P < 0.001) and hypertriglyceridemia (5.8% vs. 14.2%; P = 0.021) after 1 year of treatment.

The primary exposure to SGAs during the first year of psychosis was associated with significant increments in weight and metabolic parameters leading to a significant increment in the proportion of obesity, hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia in our sample.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The use of second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) treatments in psychosis has been associated with metabolic changes. However, there are differences in metabolic profile between SGAs. In a previous study conducted in our sample of first episode psychosis patients, we observed that the ziprasidone had a more benign metabolic profile compare to aripiprazole and quetiapine, at short-term (12 weeks). However, to detect clinically-relevant impairment in metabolic parameters a long-term follow-up is preferred.

The aim of this study was to investigate if the differentiated metabolic profile of aripiprazole, ziprasidone and quetiapine observed at short-term is maintained after 1 year of treatment in a sample of drug-naïve patients with a first episode of psychosis.

One hundred and sixty-eight, drug-naïve patients, suffering from a non-affective first episode of psychosis, were included in the present study. Patients were randomly assigned to receive quetiapine, ziprasidone or aripiprazole. Weight and glucemic/lipid parameters were recorded at baseline and after 1 year of treatment. Other clinical and socio-demographic variables were recorded to eliminate potential confounding effects.

No significant differences between antipsychotic groups (all F < 2.61; P > 0.05) were found in any of the metabolic parameters studied after one year of treatment.

Despite the metabolic profile differences observed at short-term in our previous studies, we did not find significant differences in the metabolic and weight parameters studied between treatment groups after one year of treatment, concluding that they present similar metabolic profiles at long-term. Other clinical individual interventions (e.g.: diet, exercise), not here controlled, may have influenced possible differences in long-term metabolic outcomes.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), mostly caused by the common deletion including the TBX- and COMT-genes (LCR22A-D), is highly associated with somatic anomalies. The distal deletion (distal of LCR22D) comprises the MAPK1-gene and is associated with specific heart defects. The rare central deletion (LCR22B-D) encompasses the CRKL-gene and shows predominantly urogenital anomalies. 22q11DS also differs in its neuropsychiatric profile: common deletion accompanied by schizophrenia-like psychoses and autism spectrum disorders, distal deletion by anxiety disorders, and central deletion by autistic-like behaviours.

Investigating genetic subtypes of 22q11DS.

Achieving a targeted pharmacological treatment based on genetic sub-typing.

Thirty-two patients with genetically proven 22q11DS, referred for detailed neuropsychiatric analysis.

Apart from two patients with distal deletion and one with central deletion, common 22q11.2 deletion was detected in 29 patients. Those with the common deletion were typified by a history of relapsing schizophrenia-like psychoses and partial non-response to conventional antipsychotics. In most patients, anxieties and mood instability were also manifest. The two patients with a distal deletion predominantly showed anxiety symptoms, while the behaviour of the patient with a central deletion was characterized by symptoms from the autism spectrum. Most patients with a common deletion could successfully be treated with clozapine or quetiapine, often combined with valproic acid. One patient with a distal deletion showed full remission upon treatment with citalopram (the second refused such a pharmacological intervention). The behaviour of the patient with central deletion improved upon contextual measures only.

The genetic subtype of 22q11DS enables targeting of treatment strategy.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Recently, as a result of an increased emphasis on patients’ needs, the awareness on the quality of life has been engaged into account in the exploration of schizophrenia.

The aim of the study was to explore the relations between hope, self-stigma, personality traits and quality of life in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder.

Fifty-two stabilized outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders participated in cross-sectional study. The psychiatrist assessed each patient with Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and Clinical Global Impression-Severity. The patients completed Quality of Life Satisfaction and Enjoyment Questionnaire, Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale, Temperament and Character Inventory, Adult Dispositional Hope Scale, Drug Attitude Inventory, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Inventory – II, and Beck Anxiety Inventory.

The quality of life was significantly higher in employed patients, and individuals with higher hope, self-directedness, and persistence. The quality of life was lower among the patients with higher number of hospitalizations, those with higher severity of the disorder and individuals who were taking more medication. The patients with more pronounced symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social anxiety had a lower quality of life. Finally, the quality of life was lower among the individuals with higher harm avoidance, and self-stigmatization.

Detection of the quality of life in the context of personality traits, hope, self-stigma and demographical and clinical factors may be an important part of the treatment of patients with schizophrenia.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Most individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia must cope with some form of stigmatization. Different types of public stigma, self-stigma and label avoidance, may have negative consequences for these individuals.

The aim of the study was to search the degree of self-stigma in schizophrenia and its association with the clinical and demographic factors.

One hundred and ninety-seven stabilized outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders participated in the study. The mean age of the sample was 40 years. All individuals completed the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI) and a demographic questionnaire. The disorder severity was assessed both by a psychiatrist (objCGI-S: the objective version of Clinical Global Impression – Severity scale) and by the patients (subjCGI-S: the subjective version of Clinical Global Impression – Severity scale).

The total score of the ISMI positively correlated with the severity of the disorder measured by the objCGI-S and the subjCGI-S. Additionally, the self-stigma positively correlated with the treatment duration, and the number of hospitalizations. The regression analysis identified these regressors as the most relevant to the self-stigma – the number of hospitalizations, the severity of the disorder rated by a psychiatrist, and the difference between the objective rating and the subjective rating of the severity of the disorder.

Outpatients with psychosis, who have undergone a higher number of hospitalizations, dispose of a higher severity of the disorder and show a bigger discrepancy between their rating of the severity and the psychiatric rating, display a greater degree of self-stigma.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The quality of the therapeutic care during a first episode psychosis (FEP) determines the middle- and long-term prognosis.

The aim of our study is to describe the therapeutic attitudes in front of a FEP and discuss them according to current international recommendations.

This is a retrospective descriptive study. All patients with a FEP, hospitalized in the psychiatric department of the university hospital, Mahdia during the period from 15 May 2000 to 31 December 2013 have been included.

We recruited 111 patients. The average age was 27 years, a male predominance was noted. Initially, the majority of patients were treated in monotherapy (55.9%) and mostly with typical antipsychotic drugs (80.2%), by injection. Among those under association, 63.4% received corrective treatment and 26.8% a benzodiazepine. The prescription of a mood stabilizer and an antidepressant was noted in respectively 5.6 and 2.8% of cases. The majority of patients received typical antipsychotic drugs (53.1%) while 39.6% were under atypical antipsychotic. The follow-up period, after which a reduction of the antipsychotic dose was decided, ranged from 1 to 66 months with an average of 8.26.

The progression to a chronic psychosis, still has a severe connotation. The Early and adequate therapeutic care in accordance with the international recommendations, determines the prognosis and constitute a decisive moment in the evolutionary trajectory of the disease.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.