The results clearly demonstrate the superiority of antipsychotic drugs compared to placebo in preventing relapse. This effect must be weighed against the side effects of antipsychotic drugs. Future studies should focus on outcomes of social participation and clarify the long-term morbidity and mortality associated with these drugs.
Double-blind placebo substitution: withdrawal of fluphenazine decanoate in schizophrenic patients.
In a double-blind placebo substitution study, 27 chronic schizophrenic patients successfully treated for more than 2 years with fluphenazine decanoate were withdrawn from the drug. These patients showed a significantly higher relapse rate than the matched control group of 26 patients who continued to receive fluphenazine (56% versus 19%, p less than .001). This high rate of relapse is viewed as indicating the need for continued medication in most chronic schizophrenic patients.