Evaluating the Role of Clozapine in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia: A Narrative Synthesis of Clinical, Economic, and Quality-of-Life Outcomes

Abstract Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) affects up to 30% of individuals with schizophrenia who fail to respond to standard antipsychotics. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on clozapine’s clinical effectiveness, economic impact, and quality-of-life benefits. A nonsystematic literature review of PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar was performed using relevant clinical and health-economic keywords. Findings consistently demonstrate that clozapine provides superior symptom reduction, reduces rehospitalization and mortality, and improves functional recovery and patient-reported outcomes. Evidence from real-world studies and meta-analyses shows marked