Abstract

Antipsychotic side-effects are common and are an important determinant of non-adherence and consequent relapse. Most rating scales for the identification of these are lengthy and complicated. This report reviews the medical literature on the Glasgow antipsychotic side-effect scale (GASS)-a brief and validated rating scale to measure the unwanted effects of antipsychotics. We administered the GASS to fourteen in-patients in a United Kingdombased Community Psychiatric Rehabilitation Unit. The objective was to establish the utility of the GASS in this setting and to make recommendations on how this tool could be used in clinical practice to improve adherence to antipsychotic medication.

Keywords: GASS; Psychiatric; Community rehabilitation; Anti psychotics