The mental health disorder schizophrenia has accounted for about three million cases in the United States alone. It is a chronic and serious condition wherein the patient has a hard time telling apart reality from imagination, that could seriously affect one's thinking and behavior.
Today, a major breakthrough in how schizophrenia is being treated could pave the way for more success stories in the future. According to a recent study, the treatment of schizophrenia through administering lower doses of antipsychotic medication, subjecting the patients through talk therapy and creating stronger family support has proven to be effective, as noted in a New York Times article.
These new findings fly in the face of the traditional approach on the treatment of this mental disorder, which includes giving patients strong doses of these antipsychotic drugs. This approach has been said to help curb hallucinations and other illusory thoughts, but not without some serious side effects. These medications, that come in strong dosages, have been known to cause adverse effects such as considerable weight gain and episodes of tremors.
The new study, covering a period of two years, was commissioned by the government through the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and was published Tuesday in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
It involves the new treatment approach referred to as NAVIGATE, which is broader, multidisciplinary, and team-based in nature. It is a comprehensive care which gives emphasis to early intervention, wherein patients are treated during the earliest possible time, typically on the first episode of psychosis and other manifestations.
"Our study shows that this kind of treatment can be implemented in clinics around the country. It improves outcomes and the effects are greater for those with a shorter duration of untreated psychosis," Dr. John M. Kane, a psychiatry professor at the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine and lead author of the study, said in a statement, according to an article by the Aljazeera America.
The methodology of the study includes dividing more than 400 patients into two groups: one to undergo the traditional treatment, the other under the NAVIGATE program. The outcome of the study suggests that those who underwent treatment under NAVIGATE have shown improvements in their quality of life and interpersonal relationships at school or work.
This new approach in the treatment of schizophrenia has already been adopted by European countries with successful programs in the field, such as Denmark and the United Kingdom.