Psychosocial interventions play a critical role in a comprehensive program for the illness of schizophrenia. One of the most prominent advances in psychosocial treatment in the past 15 years has been in the area of family interventions, with several well controlled long-term research studies reporting positive effects on the course of the illness when families are included in the treatment program. The family is treated as an ally by the treatment team and is discouraged from feeling guilty or to blame for the patient's illness or its course. A psychoeducational workshop is conducted at the beginning of the program. Regular meetings are then held with the family, ranging from weekly to monthly.
Support is provided by clinicians and, in most cases, by other families in a group format.
The intervention is long-term, usually at least 2 years. Families are assisted in improving their coping methods and their communication with each other. Treatment teams are multi-disciplinary and team members coordinate frequently with each other and outside agencies. Medication is followed closely, with rigorous attempts made to maximize compliance. Some elements of family intervention seem less critical at this stage of the research.