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.
Fluphenazine vs placebo in patients with remitted, acute first-episode schizophrenia.
Twenty-eight patients who had recently recovered from an acute-onset, first-episode schizophrenic illness were randomly given fluphenazine hydrochloride or decanoate or placebo for a one-year period in a double-blind study. Seven of 17 patients(14%) receiving placebo experienced a psychotic relapse, whereas none of 11 drug-treated patients experienced a relapse. Eighteen (69%) of the 26 patients available for follow-up (mean interval, 3.5 years) experienced a second psychotic relapse either during the study or afterward, and 50% (14/28) of the original sample experienced a third episode.