OBJECTIVES: Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health disorder commonly managed with antipsychotic medications. This qualitative study explored treatment experiences with oral antipsychotic medications in individuals with a self-reported diagnosis of schizophrenia.

METHODS: Three 90-minute focus groups were conducted with five participants in each group (total N=15). Each group had two trained moderators facilitating the discussion using a semi-structured guide. The guide was reviewed and approved by expert clinicians, patient advocates, and an independent review board. Participants described their experiences with oral antipsychotic treatments, including positive and burdensome effects of treatment.

RESULTS: The sample was diverse in terms of demographics (e.g., 53% male; 33% Caucasian), time since initial diagnosis (3 to 40 years), and past and current treatment experiences. Participants described various aspects of effective treatment including relief from paranoia (n=8; 53%), feeling calmer and more balanced (n=6; 40%), and increased mental focus and concentration (n=3; 20%). Participants discussed a range of success with current treatments, with 8 (53%) describing their treatment as having been overall successful. Most participants reported discontinuing an antipsychotic medication at some point (n=13; 87%) and switching to a different treatment to avoid side effects or achieve better symptom control (n=13; 87%). The 15 participants described a variety of side effects; most common were weight gain (n=12; 80%), drowsiness (n=4; 27%), sexual problems (n=4; 27%), and tremors/ticks (n=4; 27%). Those participants who experienced weight gain reported gaining between 50 to 100 pounds.

CONCLUSIONS: In these focus groups, approximately half of participants reported medications as successful in managing symptoms. Participants reported burdensome side effects with prior or current medications, which often led to modifying their treatment regimen. Findings from this study provide a deeper understanding of treatment experiences of patients with schizophrenia and highlight a need for new medications with more favorable benefit/risk profiles.