What is the primary indication for the use of clozapine?

Clozapine is primarily indicated for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. This medication is unique in its ability to effectively manage symptoms in individuals who have not responded to other antipsychotic treatments. Clozapine is typically reserved for patients who have tried and failed at least two other antipsychotic medications, showcasing its essential role in addressing difficult cases of schizophrenia that do not respond to conventional therapies.

Clozapine's efficacy in reducing both positive symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, and negative symptoms, like apathy and social withdrawal, has made it a critical option in psychiatric treatment. Additionally, it is associated with a lower risk of extrapyramidal side effects compared to other antipsychotics, further underscoring its importance for this population.

In others, such as those with generalized anxiety disorder or unipolar depression, clozapine is not indicated, as these conditions typically require different classes of medications, such as anxiolytics for anxiety or antidepressants for depression. Similarly, for obsessive-compulsive disorder, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are more commonly used than antipsychotics like clozapine. This highlights the specific and targeted use of clozapine in treating treatment-resistant schizophrenia,