Antipsychotic polypharmacy in schizophrenia patients in China and its association with treatment satisfaction and quality of life: Findings of the third national survey on use of psychotropic medications in China

Objective: This study examined the use, demographic and clinical correlates of antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) and its associations with treatment satisfaction and quality of life (QOL) in schizophrenia patients in China. Method: A total of 4239 patients in 45 nationwide Chinese psychiatric hospitals/centers were interviewed in 2012 in the third cross-sectional study, with the first two having been conducted in 2002 and 2006. Patients’ socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, including psychopathology, side effects, satisfaction with treatment and QOL, were recorded using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure. Results: The proportion of APP prescriptions in 2012 was 34.2%, which was significantly higher than the frequency of APP in 2002 (26.1%) and 2006 (26.4%) (p