6.2 When Should Antipsychotics be used?

  • Antipsychotic medications are used primarily for the treatment of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder.
  • They are also often prescribed for symptoms like agitation, psychotic episodes and obsessive behaviors.
  • More recently they have been used to treat people who have dementia.
  • Antipsychotics may be appropriate for residents with dementia if they are experiencing:
  • Delusions that are distressing to the resident
  • Hallucinations that are distressing to the resident
  • Defensive/Reactive behavior (aggression) that is high risk