Epidemiology of Patients with Super-Refractory Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia and first-episode psychosis are disorders with considerable heterogeneity in several of its basic features. The aim of the study was to give an epidemiological overview of patients with super refractory schizophrenia. The patients included in this study were those participating in a prospectively designed clozapine monitoring program (n=102 subjects) who completed at least 52 weeks of treatment and had complete data records at Psychiatric Hospital, University Hospital Centre ?Mother Theresa? in Tirana, Albania over the period 2013 -2014. In the study participated 102 subjects with a mean age 44.2 (?10.7) years with a range 22-74 years old. Thirty five (34.3%) were women and 67 (65.7%) men meeting both DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia and Kane's criteria for drug-resistance.93 (61.2%) of patient were form urban areas while only 9 (9.8%) of them lived in rural area. The majority of patients 62 (60.8%) are single, and 46 (45.1%) of them had only 8 years of school and 48% of them have a low and very low economic status. Schizophrenia usually persists, continuously or episodically, for a lifetime. Complete remission off antipsychotic medication is uncommon.