Treatment of schizophrenia
The treatment of schizophrenia requires a treatment plan tailored to each individual’s needs, which needs to be overseen by mental health professionals. The treatment may be tailored according to the different stages of the condition. The options for treatment include drug treatments (i.e., medications), physical treatments (e.g., brain stimulation or exercise), psychotherapy (e.g., CBT), and other skills training (e.g., cognitive training, occupational therapy).
Antipsychotic drugs are often divided into first- and second-generation antipsychotics. Various medications are adjunctively administered, such as benzodiazepines, mood stabilizers, essential fatty acids, herbal therapies, and many more. There are also non-pharmacological options, such as electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, acupuncture, and exercise.
Drug treatment is generally considered essential in schizophrenia, with other treatment approaches tailored around it.
Pharmacological treatments
Currently, the available antipsychotic drugs control the symptoms of schizophrenia but do not cure the condition. The main drugs used to treat schizophrenia are usually called antipsychotics. They are especially effective against so-called positive symptoms of schizophrenia but far less effective against negative and cognitive symptoms.
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First-generation antipsychotics, also known as "typical" antipsychotics or “neuroleptics”, are the older class of medication. They primarily address positive symptoms associated with schizophrenia, such as hallucinations (perceptual abnormalities) and delusions (fixed, false, irrational beliefs). Today, they are used as third-line drugs or under specific circumstances only.
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Second-generation antipsychotics, often called "atypical" antipsychotics, are the newer class of antipsychotic medication. They effectively target the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Some claims suggest that they may be more effective than first-generation antipsychotics in treating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, although the evidence supporting this assertion is not overwhelmingly strong. However, their side-effect profile is supposed to be better than that of first-generation antipsychotics.
Non-pharmalogical treatments
People with schizophrenia have additional options if pharmacological treatments are not sufficiently working. These options encompass electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, acupuncture, transcranial direct current stimulation, and exercise. Additionally, there are other alternatives like art and drama therapy, dance, and music therapy, as well as animal-assisted therapy and mindfulness that may add a benefit even if the antipsychotic medication is working fine. Certain therapies are tailored to specific groups and desired outcomes, such as high-risk groups, individuals with substance use disorders, children, individuals with cognitive impairments, or those experiencing negative symptoms.