In contrast none of the studies included a sample size calculation and only one of three studies justified these rates stating their response or drop-out rate. The mean percentage of the maximum quality score of the three studies formerly included in the review by Waddell and Taylor was 74.3% whereas the three studies first included in the present

review had a mean percentage about 61.6% (Table 2). In comparison the mean percentage Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of the maximum quality score of the total sample (12 studies) of Waddell and Taylor was 59.2% [Waddell and Taylor, 2009]. The nature of funding sources is disclosed in five out of six studies. This results deviate slightly from previous findings [Waddell and Taylor, 2009]. Here we focused on the source of funding of the included studies only. Two studies were funded by Janssen Cilag [Jaeger and Rossler, 2010; Patel et al. 2003]. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical One was self-financed [Patel et al. 2009] and two studies declared that there was no grant or source of funding [Heres et al. 2008, 2011]. Table 2. Quality analysis of

included studies. Staff attitudes In four of the six studies mostly negative attitudes towards antipsychotic depot medication in the treatment of FEPs were found, whereas two studies Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical stated more positive attitudes (Table 3). Heres and colleagues found that about 65% of the interviewed psychiatrists considered second-generation antipsychotics long-acting injections (SGA-LAIs) and 71% first-generation antipsychotics long-acting

injections (FGA-LAIs) as an inappropriate treatment for FEPs [Heres et al. 2006]. In a more recent study psychiatrists noted that only 27% of patients were offered and 13% were prescribed a depot medication [Heres et al. 2011]. Psychiatrists pointed out potential reasons for not prescribing LAIs, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical i.e. that FEPs would frequently reject the offer of depot treatment and were especially hard to be argued into depot treatment, because they never experienced a relapse. As a third Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical GDC-0449 solubility dmso reason it was mentioned that the availability of different SGA depot drugs was limited [Heres et al. 2011]. In opposition, side effects, influence on establishing a therapeutic relationship and the possibly time-consuming factor of injection visits played a minor role as potential reasons against depot formulations found [Heres et al. 2011]. Similar results were found by Jaeger and Rossler who directly compared the attitudes of psychiatrists, patients and relatives towards long-acting depot antipsychotics [Jaeger and Rossler, 2010]. More than 90% of the 81 interviewed psychiatrists noted that they never or rarely recommend changing to depot after a first psychotic episode and also referred to the limited availability of depot preparations and the assumed low acceptance of patients as major factors influencing the prescribing practice [Jaeger and Rossler, 2010]. Table 3. Clinicians attitude toward long-acting antipsychotics in FEPs.