In recent months increasing use has been made of reserpine, chlorpromazine, and combined reserpine-chlorpromazine therapy in psychiatric disorders. As these therapies have gained in popularity, there has been an urgent need for adequate comparative studies in order to determine the indications for each therapy. It was with this purpose in mind that the present study, which has extended over a 20-month period, was undertaken.
Subjects
This study was conducted in a hospital building housing 740 chronically disturbed psychotic female patients. Three comparable groups of 150 patients each were selected. They were chosen chiefly for their excited, hyperactive, assaultive, or destructive behavior, regardless of diagnosis, age, duration of illness, or previous treatment.One group of 150 patients was treated with reserpine alone for three to six months. Another group of 150 patients was treated with combined reserpine-chlorpromazine for three to seven months. The findings in these two groups have been reported