Response to antipsychotic medication: the doctor's and the consumer's view

The subjective response to antipsychotic medication was systematically evaluated in two samples of schizophrenic patients, one treated with haloperidol, the other with thiothixene. For both groups, a dysphoric response to the first dose was found to be a powerful predictor of noncompliance. A persisting dysphoric response was associated with a poor clinical outcome. Dysphoric responses were powerfully associated with akathisia. Patients' subjective responses were consistent throughout therapy, and there was moderate agreement between the patients' evaluation of the medication and the staff's ratings of improvement. The authors suggest that the subjective response to antipsychotic medication should not be dismissed and that dysphoric responses should be acknowledged.