Social functioning and quality of life as measures of effectiveness in the treatment of schizophrenia

Abstract

From the perspective of health care practitioners, the most useful clinical trials are those that assess the effectiveness of a drug, that is, determine how well the drug works under conditions of actual clinical practice. Clinical trials designed to determine effectiveness should use outcome measures that have the greatest clinical significance for practitioners, with the goal of maximizing generalizability and addressing practical questions about the risks, benefits, and costs of an intervention in routine clinical practice (1). Here we would like to emphasize the importance of social functioning and quality of life (QOL) as outcome variables in clinical trials in patients with schizophrenia.