Support staff's perceptions of discontinuing antipsychotics in people with intellectual disabilities in residential care: A mixed-method study.
Bas Kleijwegt, Addy Pruijssers, Lydie de Jong-Bakker and 3 others
PMID 30790388WHAT IT FOUND
Support staff often believed antipsychotics controlled behaviour, yet many were willing to reduce doses.
They wanted a clear plan, safety scenarios, and team support before stopping.
Key findings
01Focus group participants believed antipsychotics helped manage behaviour, but they saw blunted affect as the side effect with most impact.
02In the survey, 64% said they were willing to contribute to discontinuing antipsychotics in a proportion of their clients.
03In the survey, 68% said it would be possible to reduce the dosage in a considerable number of their clients.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study describes staff perceptions, not patient outcomes, so it cannot show whether reducing or stopping antipsychotics helps or harms clients. The focus groups used a convenience sample of 29 staff, and only nine participants checked the final themes. The survey had 187 respondents from 347 distributed, a 54% response rate. Most clients were in residential care with severe intellectual disabilities, so views about mild intellectual disability or community settings are underexposed. The study was done in the Netherlands, so care arrangements may differ elsewhere.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read staff willingness or agreement as proof that discontinuation is safe or effective. The study reports support staff perceptions, not patient behaviour, side effects, or outcomes after discontinuation.