Highlights The current COVID-19 pandemic is causing severe mental health problems. We investigated the characteristics of emergency psychiatric consultations during the phase 1 of lockdown in a Department of Mental Health and Addiction located in Lombardy region, Italy, compared to similar period of 2019. There was a marked reduction in the number of psychiatric emergency consultations. Some patients were significantly more likely to present to emergency psychiatric consultations during lockdown. COVID-19 epidemic may have a negative impact on more vulnerable individuals.

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IntroductionPrevention of relapse is a major challenge in schizophrenia, a disease characterized by poor adherence to antipsychotic medication leading to multiple rehospitalizations and a substantial burden-of-care.MethodsWe narratively review published clinical data from the development of long-acting injectable (LAI) formulations of antipsychotic drugs and examine the comparative effectiveness of oral versus LAIs in schizophrenia, with a focus on the second-generation LAI antipsychotic aripiprazole. Evidence is presented from studies with naturalistic/pragmatic as well as explanatory trial designs, supported by the clinical experience of the authors.ResultsLAI formulations of antipsychotic drugs offer advantages over oral medications and there is good evidence for their use as a first-choice treatment and in younger patients. Key phase III studies have shown aripiprazole once-monthly 400 mg (AOM 400) to be effective and well tolerated, with high rates of adherence and low rates of impending relapse. In a recent randomized trial with a “naturalistic” study design more representative of routine clinical practice, AOM 400 was well tolerated and had significantly greater effectiveness than paliperidone LAI overall and in younger patients aged ≤35 years.ConclusionResults across the “full spectrum” of efficacy in traditional clinical trials as well as those encompassing the concept of effectiveness in a more naturalistic setting of real-life clinical practice support the use of AOM 400 as a valid long-term treatment option in schizophrenia overall, as well as earlier in the treatment course, and not solely in situations of poor adherence or when oral antipsychotics have failed.

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