Antipsychotic Polypharmacy and Health-Related Quality of Life among Patients with Schizophrenia at Comprehensive Specialized Hospitals in the Northwest of Ethiopia: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study, 2022

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Because of the adverse effects related to antipsychotic polypharmacy and its relationship with increasing disease severity and treatment resistance, it is anticipated that patients with antipsychotic polypharmacy will have reduced health-related quality of life. Objective: This study aimed to assess Antipsychotic polypharmacy and health related quality of life among patients with schizophrenia at Comprehensive Specialized Hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted among 422 patients with schizophrenia using systematic random sampling. The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test, Simpson Angus Scale, World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale–Brief Version and Medication Adherence Rating Scale were used to measure substance use, extrapyramidal side effect, quality of life and medication adherence, respectively. Data entry and analysis were done using Epi-data version 4.6.1 and SPSS version 24 respectively. Multiple linear regression was used for assessing the association between antipsychotic polypharmacy and other independent variables with health related quality of life and a binary logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with antipsychotic polypharmacy. Variables with a p-value < 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval were considered as statistically significant. Result: The overall prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy was 22.7% Conclusion: In this study, antipsychotic polypharmacy was recorded in considerable amount of patients. Antipsychotic polypharmacy was negatively associated with health related quality of life. In addition, duration of illness, duration of treatment, number of admissions, and substan use were significantly associated with Antipsychotic polypharmacy. Therefore, clinicians and other responsible stakeholder groups should identify interventions that need to be implemented to improve antipsychotic utilization and social relationships. Key words: Antipsychotic polypharmacy, Health related quality of life, schizophrenia