Long-Acting Injectable Risperidone in the Treatment of Schizophrenia

The purpose of the study is to assess the effectiveness of long-acting injectable risperidone on psychiatric inpatient hospitalization, schizophrenia symptoms, quality of life, medication adherence, side effects, and health care costs. Objectives: Primary: To evaluate the impact of long-acting intramuscular (IM) risperidone on risk of inpatient psychiatric hospitalization in comparison to standard oral antipsychotic treatment in a randomized controlled trial to be conducted with 450 veterans diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder at 16 VA medical centers over three years. Secondary: To evaluate adherence, health benefits, and costs of long-acting IM risperidone as compared to standard oral antipsychotic treatment as measured by: a) symptom reduction over 12 months, b) time to all-cause medication discontinuation, c) quality of life, d) VA and non-VA health service use and related costs, e) medication side effects, f) violent behavior, g) use of concomitant medication, and h) the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.