Clinical guidelines for the management of schizophrenia: Pharmacological and psychological interventions (III)

In 2014 a Working Group was set up by the Greek Ministry of Health, with the objective of formulating Clinical Guidelines for the management of schizophrenia which include recommendations for the pharmacological and the psychosocial treatment of schizophrenia. This Working Group utilized the NICE Guideline (National Institute of Clinical Excellence 2014) for the management of Psychosis & Schizophrenia as the main guide in the development of the Greek guidelines, and in addition the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Schizophrenia (APA, 2004), the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia and related disorders (Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2005), as well as other relevant sources. Furthermore, the Hellenic Psychiatric Association (HPA) established an Expert Committee that contributed with its observations to this exercise. With regard to the pharmacological management of schizophrenia, recommendations for initiating and monitoring drug therapy, treating the first psychotic episode as well as treating the acute as well as the maintenance phase of the illness are included. Also included is the management of treatment resistance as well the management of dual diagnosis patients and rapid tranquilization. The guidelines for the psychological treatment of schizophrenia include general recommendations covering all different types of interventions but also specific suggestions for the psychological interventions that should be utilized in the treatment of schizophrenia. In this article the summary recommendations (incorporating the Hellenic Psychiatric Association comments) regarding the pharmacological, psychological and psychosocial interventions in the treatment of schizophrenia are presented.