512209-13-7LO AID: 5766 | 7/3/2017
________________________________________________________________________
Before 1950 it was difficult to predict the future of schizophrenia patient. Not many options of treatments were available or known. An electroconvulsive shock therapy was given to patients who were highly agitated.
________________________________________________________________________
After 1950 class of drugs called psychotics were developed. These drugs were very effective to calm down the patients and overcome their wild and aggressive behavior.
The clinical outcome studies show that from 15-25 years after developing the disorder there are chances that 38% of the patients recover. However, the patients do not get completely normal but they can perform well with therapies and medications. Only about 12% of the patients need to be hospitalized for a long term. However, there is not proper cure or treatment for schizophrenia in spite of all the advancements made over the last 60 years.
________________________________________________________________________
People of less industrialized countries perform better than those of more industrialized countries. This is because the high EE (expressed emotions) families are very few in the less industrialized countries like India. Improvements are seen spontaneously also without changing the medications. The disorder also reduces the life expectancy of people.
________________________________________________________________________
There are various approaches to treat the disorder. Medication by making use of antipsychotic drugs is one way of treatment. All the antipsychotic drugs work on the principle of blocking dopamine receptors.
The medication use is first generation and second generation antipsychotics. The first generation antipsychotics are so called because they were the first kind to have been used to treat a psychotic disorder. They are also called neuroleptics. Thorazine and Haldol are examples of first generation antipsychotics. Clorazil which was developed in 1980s is a second generation antipsychotic.
________________________________________________________________________
Apart from medication psychosocial treatments are also given. The psychosocial treatments given are – family therapy, care management, social skills training, cognitive behavior therapy and individual treatments.