Expert Consensus Guidelines™

Treatment of Schizophrenia 1999

The original Expert Consensus Guidelines™ for the Treatment of Schizophrenia were published in 1996. However, the introduction of a number of new antipsychotics and increasing research on psychosocial interventions for schizophrenia led to a new expert survey and the publication of these updated guidelines in 1999, which incorporate information on the latest treatment strategies for this devastating illness. Based on a survey of 57 experts on psychopharmacology and 62 experts on psychosocial interventions, these guidelines cover both medication and psychosocial treatment strategies. The first part of the guidelines covers strategies for selecting medications for initial treatment and when there has been an inadequate response to the first treatment, strategies for reducing substance abuse and medication nonadherence, as well as recommendations for selecting medications for specific complicating problems and to avoid specific types of side effects. Other guidelines cover dosing of antipsychotics and switching strategies. Recent studies have shown that patients with schizophrenia require a variety of psychosocial service in conjunction with effective medication treatment to achieve the best possible outcome. A whole section of these 1999 guidelines deals with selecting psychosocial interventions (e.g., residential services, psychoeducation, case management, psychotherapy, rehabilitation services) depending on the patient's level of impairment and stability. Guidelines also cover preferred family interventions, recommended general medical services, and recommendations for medication and psychosocial treatment during the maintenance phase. These guidelines also include policy recommendations based on a separate survey of academic experts, state mental health commissioners, state medical directors, state Medicaid officials, and representatives from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. Also included is "A Guide for Patients and Families" that was developed with the assistance of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI).

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The following files are available for download:

A. Full reprint in PDF: Treatment of Schizophrenia 1999

Single copies of this document may be downloaded and printed free of charge. If you want to print more than one copy of this document, there is a reprint fee of $1.25 per copy. Please complete the form at the beginning of the guideline file and mail it to Physicians Postgraduate Press.

Adobe Acrobat format (608k)

B. Guide for Patients and Families in PDF

This document may be downloaded and printed free of charge.

Adobe Acrobat format (105k)

C. Selected Results from the 1996 Schizophrenia Policy Survey in PDF

This document may be downloaded and printed free of charge.

Adobe Acrobat format (146k)

Earlier versions may be accessed in our Archived Guidelines section.

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