Effect of chronotype on course of treatment in patients with schizophrenia under long-acting injectable antipsychotic treatment: one-year community mental health center experience

A. Erdoğan Kaya, B. Erdoğan Aktürk

Department of Psychiatry, Hitit University, Çorum Erol Olçok Training and Research Hospital, Çorum, Turkey. dr.ayserdogan@gmail.com

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• Psychiatry

OBJECTIVE: A chronotype is defined as the behavioral manifestation underlying the biological clock, which is formed by the effects of physical and genetic factors. It has recently been found to be associated with many mental and physical illnesses. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of chronotypes on the treatment course of schizophrenia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a clinical retrospective study. The study population was composed of subjects with schizophrenia who received long-acting, injectable antipsychotic medication. The Demographic Data Form, Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were administered to the patients. In addition, the retrospective follow-up files of the patients for the last year were investigated. The obtained data were analyzed statistically.

RESULTS: The chronotypes of 97 patients with schizophrenia who volunteered to participate in the study were 38.2% (n = 37) eveningness, 27.8% (n = 27) morningness, and 34% (n = 33) intermediate type. Compared to morningness and intermediate type, eveningness was associated with a higher number of acute exacerbations in patients with schizophrenia, while intermediate type and morningness did not differ significantly from each other.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study, as a clinical study, supports the relationship between eveningness and poor prognosis in schizophrenia. It may be helpful to consider the chronotype in the clinical follow-up of patients with schizophrenia and to be aware of individuals with the evening chronotype, which is predicted to have a higher risk of exacerbation.

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