The pharmacological management of behavioural disturbance in psychosis: a naturalistic study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of atypical and typical anti-psychotics in treating behavioural disturbance in people with psychotic disorders, in a naturalistic setting. METHOD: This was a prospective naturalistic study of 303 incidents of behavioural disturbance at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between atypicals and typicals on two efficacy measures and some evidence on a third measure, that typicals are more effective. CONCLUSIONS: In the pharmacological treatment of behavioural disturbance in psychosis, typical and atypical anti-psychotics have largely comparable efficacy.