Reduction in the dose of conventional antipsychotic drugs in the maintenance treatment of schizophrenia is justified as an attempt to reduce dose-dependent side effects (31). The rationale underlying dose reduction for second-generation antipsychotics is less clear. In this study, the reduction in risperidone doses was in keeping with studies that have shown the optimal daily maintenance dose of this drug for Chinese schizophrenia patients to be 2–3 mg (32–34). Lower doses of risperidone are expected to mitigate the side effects related to weight gain and elevated prolactin levels (35, 36).