Psych Vivas · General adult psychiatry — psychotic disorders
Schizophrenia spectrum — structured clinical viva
Fellowship viva covering relapse after non-adherence, risk, LAI versus clozapine decision-making, InterSePT and TRRIP concepts, and cardiometabolic care.
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Target exams
Interpretation
Reveal interpretation
This is a relapse of schizophrenia driven by non-adherence, with passive death wishes requiring structured suicide risk assessment (protective factors, intent, plan, means, command content, substance use, hopelessness, support). Acute priorities: safety, re-engagement, restart of antipsychotic (consider LAI if non-adherence is the pattern), medical review, and collaborative crisis planning with his mother as appropriate under privacy law. [1]
Whether clozapine is indicated depends on treatment resistance versus non-adherence. If he has never had two adequate adherent trials, he may not yet meet TRRIP resistance criteria — the first task is an adequate adherent trial (often supported by LAI). If he has already failed two adequate trials when adherent, clozapine is the evidence-based next step.[1]
InterSePT supports clozapine over olanzapine for suicidal behaviour in schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder — relevant given death wishes, but acute risk management still requires means restriction, follow-up intensity and possible admission.[2]
Physical health: weight, BMI, glucose, lipids, smoking, ECG; olanzapine’s metabolic burden; long-term mortality driven heavily by cardiovascular disease — FIN11 informs the mortality conversation without ignoring metabolic harm.[3]
Key points
[1]References
- [1]Howes OD, McCutcheon R, Agid O, et al. Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia: Treatment Response and Resistance in Psychosis (TRRIP) Working Group Consensus Guidelines on Diagnosis and Terminology Am J Psychiatry, 2017.PMID 27919182
- [2]Meltzer HY, Alphs L, Green AI, et al. Clozapine treatment for suicidality in schizophrenia: International Suicide Prevention Trial (InterSePT) Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2003.PMID 12511175
- [3]Tiihonen J, Lönnqvist J, Wahlbeck K, et al. 11-year follow-up of mortality in patients with schizophrenia: a population-based cohort study (FIN11 study) Lancet, 2009.PMID 19595447