Factors associated with the use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics in a hospital in Antioquia, Colombia
Keywords:
Antipsychotic; Risperidone; Paliperidone Palmitate; Serious Mental Disorders; HospitalizationAbstract
Introduction: Severe mental disorders represent a significant burden on healthcare systems, and long-acting injectable antipsychotics are emerging as a therapeutic alternative to counteract the lack of medication adherence. Objective: To analyze the use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics in hospitalized patients with severe mental disorders at a referral hospital in Antioquia, Colombia between 2019 and 2024. Methods: A descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted. All medical records of patients hospitalized with severe mental disorders at a referral hospital between 2019 and 2024 were included. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were analyzed, and the use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics was considered the outcome variable. Prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated using generalized linear models. Results: A total of 14,869 hospitalized patients with severe mental disorders were registered. Oh these, 11.78% received long-acting injectable antipsychotics; among these, 71.97% were prescribed risperidone, and 57.82% received the medication during a single hospitalization. The use of these antipsychotics was associated with male sex (PR=1.62), schizophrenia (PR=4.92), bipolar disorders (PR=2.46), simultaneous disorders (PR=2.99), related diagnoses (PR=1.71), and with multiple hospitalizations (PR=2.28). Conclusion: The use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics among hospitalized patients with severe mental disorders was limited and selective, being concentrated in subgroups with greater clinical and social complexity that may hinder therapeutic continuity.
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