Treating Schizophrenia in the Prodromal Phase

Clinicians and policymakers alike have started to recognize the importance of early intervention in psychotic disorders, particularly schizophrenia, to enable timely treatment, minimization of secondary morbidity and prevention of relapse. The course of illness may be positively influenced and interventions may be more cost-effective if provided consistently right after onset. But researchers are now focusing on the phase before the first episode, the pre-psychotic or prodromal phase, when the disability is established and entrenched. This book presents progress to date in pre-psychotic intervention and research, and it can aid psychiatrists and other mental health clinicians.