Response to Anti-psychotic Drugs

Professor David Lewis explains that many schizophrenic individuals respond well to anti-psychotic medication. Treatment for other symptoms is developing.

So, currently available treatments for schizophrenia have, in many ways, revolutionized the way we manage the illness. As opposed to chronic hospitalization for the majority of the individuals with the disorder, with the use of anti-psychotic medications many individuals are now able to live outside of a hospital setting. Unfortunately though, these drugs produce remission, that is the complete absence of positive symptoms in a relatively small percentage of patients. Also, an important area of research now is to develop medications that will be effective against the other symptoms of the disorder. So that individuals with the illness will not only have a reduction in hallucinations and delusions, but an improvement in other critical functions that will enable them to return to school or return to work, or live independently in the community.