Efficacy of clozapine for long-stay patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia: 4-year observational study.

Aim: Supporting patients upon discharge following prolonged hospitalization in private psychiatric hospitals in Japan have long been an issue. This study evaluated the efficacy of clozapine in treating long-stay patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia to reduce the frequency and duration of readmissions postdischarge.

Methods: We retrospectively examined the length and frequency of hospitalizations of long-stay and non-long-stay patients with schizophrenia who were introduced to clozapine at our hospital.