Abstract

            Background
            Functional impairment affects many patients with schizophrenia. Treatment with the long-acting injectable antipsychotic aripiprazole once-monthly (AOM) may help improve functioning.
          
          
            Objectives
            To explore changes in functioning in patients with schizophrenia who received AOM treatment in observational studies.
          
          
            Methods
            Here we report functional outcomes in the form of Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores in a pooled analysis of data from two observational studies from Canada (NCT02131415) and Germany (vfa non-interventional studies registry 15960N). Data from 396 patients were analyzed.
          
          
            Results
            At baseline, the mean GAF score was 47.7 (SD 13.4). During 6 months of treatment with AOM, the mean GAF score increased to 59.4 (SD 15.8). Subgroups stratified by patient age (≤35 years/>35 years), sex, disease duration (≤5 years/>5 years) and disease severity at baseline had all significantly improved their GAF at month 6. 51.5% of the patients showed a GAF score increase of at least 10 points, which was regarded as clinically meaningful, and were considered responders.
          
          
            Conclusions
            These data show that treatment with AOM may help improve patient functioning in a routine treatment setting.
          
          
            Trial registration
            NCT02131415 (May 6, 2014), vfa non-interventional studies registry 15960N.