Lifelong Learning: The American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Schizophrenia-View Article

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The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has released a practice guideline for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. The goal of the guideline is to improve the quality of care and treatment outcomes for patients with schizophrenia. Since the publication of the last guideline on schizophrenia in 2004, there have been advancements in pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments. The guideline focuses on evidence-based treatments for schizophrenia and includes statements related to assessment and treatment planning. Schizophrenia is one of the top 20 causes of disability worldwide, and the lifetime prevalence is estimated to be approximately 0.7%. The economic burdens associated with schizophrenia are high, with an estimated cost of over $150 billion annually in the United States. Schizophrenia is also associated with increased mortality rates, with a shortened lifespan and higher rates of suicide compared to the general population. The guideline includes recommendations for pharmacotherapy, psychosocial interventions, and assessment and determination of treatment plans for patients with schizophrenia. The strength of each recommendation is based on the available research evidence. The guideline development process followed the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine and the Principles for the Development of Specialty Society Clinical Guidelines. The full guideline provides a detailed description of the research evidence for the effects of different treatments for schizophrenia. While the guideline does not address issues related to co-occurring physical health conditions or the treatment of attenuated psychosis syndrome, it generally applies to individuals with co-occurring conditions. Cost-effectiveness considerations are outside the scope of the guideline.

Keywords

American Psychiatric Association

practice guideline

treatment

schizophrenia

care

evidence-based treatments

assessment

pharmacotherapy

psychosocial interventions

research evidence