Predictors of the discharge dosage of an atypical antipsychotic agent among hospitalized, treatment-naive, first-episode @entity716 XXXX in naturalistic, public-sector settings.

@entity1 @entity716 @entity1090
OBJECTIVE: Little is known about determinants of second-generation antipsychotic dosages during initial hospitalization of first-episode @entity716 . This study examined potential predictors of dosage of an atypical antipsychotic agent, @entity1090 , at hospital discharge after initial evaluation and treatment of first-episode nonaffective @entity716 in 3 naturalistic, public-sector treatment settings. METHODS: The number of psychotropic agents prescribed and discharge antipsychotic dosage were abstracted from the medical record. Demographic and extensive clinical characteristics were assessed through a clinical research study conducted at the 3 sites. One-way analyses of variance, trend tests using specific linear combinations of estimates, and      tests assessed for associations between atypical antipsychotic dosage and 5 hypothesized predictors, as well as 12 exploratory variables. RESULTS: Among 155 hospitalized first-episode @entity1 , 121 (78.1%) were discharged on @entity1090 , and subsequent analyses focused on that subset. The mean @entity1090 dosage among those 121 @entity1 was 4.26 mg; 31 received 1 to 2 mg, 45 received 3 to 4 mg, 37 received 5 to 6 mg, and 8 received more than 6 mg. Analyses suggested that older age at hospitalization, the number of psychotropic agents prescribed, excited symptoms, and premorbid social functioning may be predictors of the discharge dosage. CONCLUSIONS: Although several factors emerged, in general, predictors of discharge dosages of second-generation agents, here exemplified by @entity1090 , in real-world practice settings remain to be clarified. Given the importance of antipsychotic initiation during first hospitalization, future research should test an even broader array of potential predictors.
