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Background: Atomoxetine has been widely used for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, adolescents and adults. Several studies have confirmed its efficacy as assessed by parent and teacher ratings with respect to school performance and social and family functioning. Loss of appetite and weight has been its well documented side effect. In this study, we tried to assess the frequency and severity of the side effect of loss of appetite and weight loss in children diagnosed with ADHD and treated with atomoxetine. Methods: This study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital. Children diagnosed as having ADHD were started on the minimum effective dose of Atomoxetine (0.5–1mg/kg body weight). The weight and calorie consumed by the patient per day were recorded before starting the medication. The doses were titrated over the next one month at the end of which parents were asked about any apparent change in appetite of patients. Weight and the caloric intake were noted and comparisons made with the previous record. Results: 49 patients completed the study. 21 (42.9%) patients had a decrease in weight. However, ‘clinically significant weight loss’ (>5% body weight) was seen in 3 (6.1%) patients only. 17 patients (34.7%) reported a decrease in their daily calorie intake. 15 (30.6%) parents reported appetite loss, out of which 9 (18.4%) parents reported a ‘major decrease’ in the appetite of their children, warranting a change of dose/dosing schedule. Conclusions: Though a significant number of patients and their parents reported loss of appetite and weight, more frequently in females, clinically significant weight loss was seen only in a minority (6.1%) of patients. Nevertheless, a regular weight monitoring is a must in daily clinical practice when maintaining a patient on atomoxetine.

Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder which has a profound effect on the patient's life course. Marriage has been shown to be both protective and detrimental to the course of recovery in schizophrenia. The study was planned to elucidate the factors that influenced marriage and the sustainability of marriage in patients with schizophrenia. Materials and Methods: The study sample was 101 patients with schizophrenia that attended the outpatient department of tertiary general hospital. Informed consent was taken and data collected from the patients and/or relatives on a special semi-structured pro forma. The data collected were subjected to appropriate statistical analysis after further subdividing the sample into subgroups. Results: About 69.3% of the total samples were married while 30.7% were unmarried. A significantly greater number of patients who were educated were unmarried (P = 0.026). Age of onset of illness below 25 years (P = 0.002) was a significant factor in those who were unmarried. When marital outcomes were considered, it was noted that greater male patients had stable marriages though not statistically significant, whereas earlier age of onset of illness was a significant factor that resulted in poor marital outcome (t = 2.96, df = 68, P = 0.0021). Conclusions: The effect of marriage on schizophrenia and factors that may influence marital sustainability in patients with schizophrenia need further study and are multipronged. Larger studies in this area of research are warranted.