Antipsychotic drugs have documented effectiveness, which is heightened when augmented by family-based psychoeducational programs and some types of personal psychotherapy. A combination of psychoeducation, psychotherapy and antipsychotic medication can work together to dramatically decrease the rate of relapse and need for hospitalization in people with schizophrenia. This combination also improves the cognitive abilities, as well as social and occupational functioning. Another important component of treatment is awareness of drug use and abuse. Therefore, it is important to identify and treat the problem of drug abuse when it compounds schizophrenia.
Antipsychotic medication is the primary pharmacological treatment for schizophrenia.
These medications decrease the symptoms of schizophrenia for most patients, but rarely ever cure the illness or return people to their premorbid levels of functioning. So, although some people with schizophrenia may appear normal, in reality, they almost never reclaim their full potential. For many patients the addition of mood stabilizers, antidepressants and even antianxiety medications are valuable. Suicide attempts those with schizophrenia is a major public health problem, but it is poorly recognized. As successful as antipsychotic medications have been in treating most of the symptoms of schizophrenia, they have failed to decrease the rate of suicide significantly.