Standing Balance in Psychiatric Patient being treated with Psychotropic Drugs

Abstract

We examined unipedal standing times and history of falls during 1 month for 245 psychiatric patients who were being treated with the psychotropic drugs(male 137, female 108, age from 17 to 88, average 55 years). We also examined the effect of exercise for 31 cooperative patients who could carry out the standing balance exercise every day for 2 months.[Results]Compared with healthy people, the unipedal standing times of these psychiatric patients were extremely shorter even in the younger patients. During one month investigation, 22 patients fell at least one time. The average standing times for these 22 patients were 9.1 seconds(right leg)and 8.4 seconds(left leg)and for those patients who did not fall they were 16.9 seconds(right leg)and 15.8 seconds(left leg)(p<0.05). A five minute unipedal standing exercise was carried out every day for 31 cooperative patients. After 2 months, the average unipedal standing time was statistically improved(from 26.5 seconds to 32.0 seconds p<0.05).[Conclusion]Psychiatric patients treated with psychotropic drugs are in greater danger of falling if their unipedal standing times are shorter than 10 seconds, and the attending physicians should give careful consideration to changing or decreasing the dosage of the psychotropic drugs these patients receive. Finally, unipedal standing exercises may improve standing balance and prevent falls in the psychiatric patients.