Introduction
These are the approved guidelines published by the South African Society of Psychiatrists to provide an overview on treatment and management of commonly diagnosed psychiatric illnesses. The guidelines include consensus recommendations, based on peer contribution and using the international evidence based guidelines that are suitable for the local South African health service.
Please note that parts of this guideline may be out of date, an update will be published as soon as it is available.
Schizophrenia is a major mental disorder that imposes a significant burden on the individual including poor quality of life[1] and increased morbidity[2] and mortality;[3] it disrupts interpersonal relationships and family structures, and has significant economic costs to society.[4] While there are substantial limitations to current treatments,[5] an integrated package of biopsychosocial interventions is essential to alleviate the negative impact of the disorder and enhance quality of life.[6] Active early intervention, in particular, can improve long-term outcomes.[4]