Review on Antipsychotics: Long Injectable Antipsychotics For Treatment of Schizophrenia

Bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia are mental illnesses that lead to impairment and have social and economic repercussions. One of the main issues that physicians deal with in both schizophrenia and BD is treatment noncompliance. Recurrence and decreased functionality are linked to treatment non-compliance. Compared to patients using an equivalent oral form of the same medication, treatment compliance is higher with long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIAs), recurrence times are delayed, and hospitalization rates are lower. A low death rate, less caregiver stress, and higher patient satisfaction have all been linked to the use of LAIAs in the maintenance treatment of schizophrenia. Research indicates that LAIAs are more affordable than their oral counterparts. There is a dearth of information regarding the use of LAIAs in first-episode schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but studies on the use of LAIAs in first-episode schizophrenia patients show that they are more effective at preventing relapse and re-hospitalization than oral antipsychotics, and in BD, using LAIAs has reduced the rate of hospitalization for mood episodes and the frequency of manic episodes. It has been discovered that LAIAs are less successful than manic episodes at preventing depressive episodes in BD. More research is required on this topic even though there are numerous studies that support the use of LAIAs in the maintenance treatment of BD and schizophrenia. This article reviews research on the use of LAIAs in treating BD, schizophrenia, and first episode schizophrenia. It also discusses the use of LAIAs in treatment.