Psychosocial interventions in schizophrenia: Focus on guidelines

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia is a lifelong condition with acute exacerbations and varying degrees of functional disability. Acute and long-term treatments are based on antipsychotic drugs, even if some domains of personal and social functioning are not addressed by psychopharmacotherapy. In fact, psychosocial interventions show a positive impact on patient's functioning and clinical outcome. In addition, psychosocial interventions are significantly associated with a lower number of relapses and hospitalizations in schizophrenia.

Methods: An analytical review of the International Guidelines on Psychosocial Interventions in Schizophrenia has been performed; we included the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) guidelines, the Schizophrenia Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT) guidelines and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) guidelines.

Results: The international guidelines recommend psychosocial interventions as supportive treatments alongside pharmaceutical or psychotherapeutic ones.

Conclusion: More research studies need to be conducted and included in the updated version of the international guidelines to confirm the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in the long-term outcome of schizophrenia.

Keywords: Guidelines; psychosocial interventions; recovery; schizophrenia; social functioning.