Abstract
Before discussing which patients should be treated we must consider the therapeutic actions of neuroleptic drugs. It is widely accepted that they control/suppress the positive symptoms of an acute episode of illness (psychosis) — both a first episode and a relapse, and it is generally accepted that neuroleptics control, suppress or modify residual symptoms during a remission. The extent of this clinical action can vary. Some patients may experience an almost immediate resurgence of symptoms once the dose is lowered and others survive for lengthy periods before the reappearance of symptoms. Some patients may have only a partial response to neuroleptics and others experience little or no benefit from these drugs. A beneficial effect on symptoms does not necessarily indicate any further therapeutic action. The evidence suggests that drugs only control or suppress symptoms.
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© 1991 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Johnson, D.A.W. (1991). Who Should Be Treated?. In: Kissling, W. (eds) Guidelines for Neuroleptic Relapse Prevention in Schizophrenia. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-86922-8_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-86922-8_15
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-53985-8
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