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Question: Management

Answer: Schizophrenia is treatable. Treatment with medicines and psychosocial support is effective. However, most people with chronic schizophrenia lack access to treatment.

There is clear evidence that old-style mental hospitals are not effective in providing the treatment that people with mental disorders need and violate basic human rights of persons with mental disorders. Efforts to transfer care from mental health institutions to the community need to be expanded and accelerated. The engagement of family members and the wider community in providing support is very important.

Programmes in several low- and middle- income countries (e.g. Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, India, Iran, Pakistan and United Republic of Tanzania) have demonstrated the feasibility of providing care to people with severe mental illness through the primary health-care system by:

- training primary health-care personnel;
- providing access to essential drugs;
- supporting families in providing home care;
- educating the public to decrease stigma and discrimination;
- enhancing independent living skills through recovery-oriented psychosocial interventions (e.g. life skills training, social skills training) for people with schizophrenia and for their families and/or caregivers; and
- facilitating independent living, if possible, or assisted living, supported housing and supported employment for people with schizophrenia. This can act as a base for people with schizophrenia to achieve recovery goals. People affected by schizophrenia often face difficulty in obtaining or retaining normal employment or housing opportunities.

(Source: World Health Organization , 12 May 2021)

Source Link: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schizophrenia