A nationwide, register-based cohort study in Finland included 61,889 hospitalized patients with schizoaffective and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), focusing on relapse defined as inpatient hospital care for psychosis. The study, spanning from 1972 to 2014, analyzed antipsychotic medication use and hospital admissions among different age and sex groups. The primary medications assessed were clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone.

Findings revealed variations in antipsychotic use by age and sex, with older patients more likely to use lower doses. Women and men over 45 years used more low-dose monotherapies, while standard and high doses were more evenly distributed among all groups. Ultimately, the study aimed to better understand medication patterns and their impact on relapse in SSD patients, taking into account age and sex differences.

Reference: Sommer IE, Brand BA, Gangadin S, et al. Women with Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders After Menopause: A Vulnerable Group for Relapse. Schizophr Bull. 2023;49(1):136-143. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbac139.