It aims to stabilize psychotic symptoms and reduce their chances of relapse. It also aims to improve their ability to resume everyday life and to live independently. Drugs can relieve some symptoms for some people, but there is a need for better-tolerated, more effective drugs. Treatment for schizophrenia can be controversial. There are currently two related areas of controversy in the UK - the cost of medication and its side effects.
Schizophrenia is an expensive illness.
Much of this expense comes from hospitalisations and caring for people with schizophrenia who do not respond well to treatment. This drug costs 6,000 per year. However, it costs 1,000 per week to keep a person with a mental illness in hospital. This section covers the available treatments for schizophrenia and considers future approaches to the condition. The two major groups are typical and atypical antipsychotics based on their side effects.