Mental health articles

Injections have a very limited role in the treatment of mental illness. Besides thesesituations, it is advisable not to use injections in the treatment of mental illness. Avoid usingunnecessary injections such as vitamins for complaints of tiredness and weakness, which areoften the result of a common mental disorder rather than a vitamin deficiency.

The diagrams on the next page give some guidance on how to give injections.

Injection treatments in mental illness

In violent or agitated people who refuse to take oral medicineAny of the following:

• diazepam, 5–10 mg as an intramuscular or slow intravenous injection

• haloperidol, 5–10 mg intramuscular injection

• chlorpromazine, 25–100 mg intramuscular injection

In people with schizophrenia who are poorly compliant with oral medicines and fall ill frequently(ideally, refer any such person to a specialist)

Any of the following:

• fluphenazine decanoate, 25–75 mg every four weeks

• flupenthixol decanoate, 25–200 mg every four weeks

• haloperidol decanoate, 25–100 mg every four weeks

• zuclopenthixol decanoate, 100–400 mg every four weeks

Tags: Illness, mental, treatment