Guideline vs Usual Treatment in Schizophrenic Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the applicability and usefulness of the guideline treatment for diagnosis and treatment of adolescents with schizophrenia, also to evaluate the compliance to the treatment according to the guidelines, and to compare the treatment compliance, severity of illness and social functioning of patients treated according to guideline treatment vs patients with the treatment as usual on a six month follow up.

The drug treatment of patients on the Guideline Treatment group followed an algorithm, where an atypical antipsychotic must be maintained during 6 weeks before the evaluation of medication change if the PANSS score did not show a reduction of 30% and the patients did not show functional improvement. Clozapine could be administered if two trials of antipsychotics were not effective. Benzodiazepines, antidepressants, anticholinergics or anticonvulsants were allowed for the treatment of comorbid disorders or side effects. The psychosocial treatment included psychoeducation (three 90 min sessions with the family and two 45 min sessions with the patients), followed by a seven 45 min sessions training on social skills which focused on verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as in conversation skills. Patients were also trained in healthy life style habits and were included on a 30 min of exercise in group. TAU included an antipsychotic and the psychosocial treatment decided by the clinician