Effects of Community Mental Health Centers on Oxidative Stress in Patients with Schizophrenia

Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate of oxidative stress between the schizophrenic patients who regularly continued to Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) and the patients who did not continue to CMHC. By this study, the effects of CMHC on oxidative stress between these two group of patients were assessed. Methods: Total number of 86 volunteers were enrolled in this study; 43 (27 males, 16 females) patients who regularly continued (average 2 years, at least 3 days a week) to CMHC and 43 (25 males, 18 females) patients who regularly did not continue to CMHC. Total antioxidative stress (TAS), total oxidative stress (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), paraoxanase (PON1), arylesterase (ARE) and total thiol (T.Thl) levels were measured with a novel automated method. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess the patients. Results: TOS, PANSS-Negative subscale and PANSS-Total subscale were found to be significantly higher in the group of patients who were not continuing to CMHC, than the group of patients who were continuing to CMHC. ARE and T.thl were found significantly lower in the group of patients who were not continuing to CMHC. There was a significant positive correlation between PANSS-Negative Subscale and TOS, OSI in the group of patients who were not continuing to CMHC. There was a positive correlation between PANSS-Negative Subscale and TOS in the group of patients who were continuing to CMHC. Conclusions: Oxidative stress and negative symptoms of schizophrenia in the group of patients who were continuing to CMHC were less than in the group of patients who were not continuing to CMHC. Thus, regular follow up at CMHC is very important in the treatment of schizophrenia patients.