A descriptive retrospective study of the treatment and outpatient service use in a clinical group of delusional disorder patients.

Introduction: Gender differences in attendance rates for appointments in delusional disorder have been poorly studied. Furthermore, delusional disorder is traditionally considered a treatment-resistant disorder.

Material And Methods: We conducted a longitudinal retrospective study with a one-year follow-up, including 78 delusional disorder patients (DSM-IV-TR), consecutively admitted over a period of 10 years. We performed a follow-up for one year in order to describe demographic and clinical variables, and to compare the therapeutic effectiveness. In this study, due to the non-interventional nature of this study, indirect measures were used to measure treatment effectiveness. The sample was divided into three groups according to the antipsychotic received at the first admission.

Results: Twenty-three patients received Risperidone Long-Acting Injection (RILD), 30 oral risperidone, and 25 patients received other oral atypical antipsychotics. Delusional disorder women had a later age at onset and needed a longer duration of hospitalization. No statistically significant differences were found between the three treatment groups as regards demographic data, social and personal functioning, and psychopathology at admission. The RILD group showed higher maintenance rates at the end of the follow-up period. Furthermore, the RILD group required treatment with antidepressants and benzodiazepines less often.

Conclusions: We concluded that treatment with RLAI may increase maintenance rates at follow-up in DD patients when compared with other oral atypical antipsychotics.