Mental health articles

Th e antipsychotic medicines are eff ective across the whole range of psychotic
disorders, i.e., schizophrenia, aff ective psychosis, paranoia, and psychosis
secondary to dementia or other medical problems. Th e development of the
antipsychotics (also called neuroleptics or major tranquilizers) led to the deinstitutionalization
of the severely psychiatrically ill in the 1960s and the subsequent
dramatic drop in patients requiring chronic psychiatric hospitalization
in the United States.
Th ough quite eff ective, the older medicines, such as Th orazine, Haldol, and
Stelazine, had many troubling side eff ects, particularly signifi cant neurological
ones, including a persistent movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia,
which is manifested by involuntary movements of the tongue, face, or upper
body. Th ese medicines could also cause signifi cant sedation, stiff ness, and
feelings of emotional emptiness.
More recently, newer or second-generation antipsychotics have become
available, including Clozaril, Zyprexa, Risperdal, and Seroquel, which appear
to cause less stiff ness and emotional emptiness. Th ere are suggestions that
these medicines may be less likely to cause tardive dyskinesia as well, but this
is not clear because the incidence of tardive is related to length of exposure;
these medicines have not been available for very long. Th ese medications do
have other associated problems. Several can cause decreased white blood cell
count, some cause weight gain and increased risk for diabetes, and some cause
changes in cardiac conduction.