Psychiatria pre prax 6/2009

Treatment of schizophrenia

According to current opinion the treatment of schizophrenia should be complex, tailored to the patient a measurement based. The complex treatment includes psychopharmacotherapy, care about somatic health and psychosocial information. Psychopharmacotherapy is analyzed in more details. Nowadays we have at our disposal atypical antipsychotics, which are subjectively better tolerated and available in different formulations. The doctors can choose the optimal drug on the base of his knowledge about psychopharmacotherapeutic possibilities and information about patient. We should take into consideration clinical picture, dynamics of the disease, individual vulnerability to side effects, previous experience, patients preference and relatives and carers attitudes.

Keywords: schizophrenia, pharmacotherapy, individualized treatment, measurement based treatment, psychosocial intervention