Clubhouses as Essential Communities During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Intentional recovery communities, such as Clubhouses, exist as physical spaces for individuals living with Serious and Persistent Mental Illness. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was necessary for these facilities to rapidly convert to virtual platforms. The aim of this study was to assess the extent to which virtual Clubhouse communities impacted the well-being of their members during the initial weeks of pandemic-related closures.

Long-term safety and tolerability of aripiprazole lauroxil in patients with schizophrenia.

Objective: Safety and tolerability of long-term treatment with the long-acting antipsychotic aripiprazole lauroxil (AL) were evaluated in patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: This was an international, multicenter, phase 3, 52-week safety study of 2 fixed doses of AL (441 mg or 882 mg intramuscular every 4 weeks). Safety endpoints included adverse events (AEs) and extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) including akathisia, injection-site reactions (ISRs), and clinically relevant changes in metabolic and endocrine values.

Metabolic and Endocrine Profiles During 1-Year Treatment of Outpatients with Schizophrenia with Aripiprazole Lauroxil.

Background: We assessed long-term metabolic and endocrine profiles of outpatients with schizophrenia participating in a one-year open-label extension study of monthly aripiprazole lauroxil (AL), a long-acting injectable antipsychotic.

Methods: Patients (N = 478) were enrolled in a 52-week, open-label extension study of AL monotherapy administered by intramuscular injection every 4 weeks. Of these, most (368) received AL 882 mg and the remainder AL 441 mg as their fixed-dose regimen.

Excess mortality in persons with severe mental disorders: a multilevel intervention framework and priorities for clinical practice, policy and research agendas.

Excess mortality in persons with severe mental disorders (SMD) is a major public health challenge that warrants action. The number and scope of truly tested interventions in this area remain limited, and strategies for implementation and scaling up of programmes with a strong evidence base are scarce. Furthermore, the majority of available interventions focus on a single or an otherwise limited number of risk factors.

Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia: the great unmet need.

Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia is present in almost all persons with the disorder and can be a substantial obstacle to efforts in the recovery process. In clinical research, cognition is assessed through neuropsychological testing as well as by different types of structured instruments focusing on function. Although nonpharmacological interventions such as cognitive remediation have been therapeutic, particularly in combination with vocational rehabilitation and supported employment, these modalities are not always easy to access.

Cost-effectiveness of olanzapine as first-line treatment for schizophrenia: results from a randomized, open-label, 1-year trial.

Objectives: This randomized, open-label trial was designed to help inform antipsychotic treatment policies. It compared the 1-year cost-effectiveness of initial treatment with olanzapine (OLZ) (n = 229) versus a "fail-first" algorithm on conventional antipsychotics (then olanzapine if indicated) (CON) (n = 214); and versus initial treatment with risperidone (RIS) (n = 221).

Methods: Individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were recruited from May 1998 to September 2001.

Interventions for Weight Gain in Adults Treated With Novel Antipsychotics.

BACKGROUND: Weight gain is a significant side effect associated with typical and atypical antipsychotic agents. It has the potential to add to the increased morbidity and mortality associated with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Because the newer antipsychotic medications have proved to be superior to traditional agents in controlling the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, it is additionally critical to address the relationship of these newer agents to weight gain.

Management of weight gain in patients with schizophrenia.

Of the roughly 55% of the United States population that is considered overweight, half meet the criteria for obesity. Obesity is associated with serious health risks, but many clinicians graduate from medical school without a clear understanding of the effects of the foods that they and their patients consume. Obesity is more prevalent in people with mental illnesses, which poses an even greater challenge to clinicians.