Real-world comprehensive care of people living with schizophrenia: recommendations across different settings and clinical stages

Abstract

The clinical management of a complex disorder such as schizophrenia remains a significant challenge worldwide. This disorder requires a comprehensive, integrated and personalized care that blends multiple approaches, and the real-world availability of multiple resources. We present here the first recommendations addressing the real-world comprehensive care for people with schizophrenia-spectrum psychoses across different approaches, clinical stages, and levels of available resources. The recommendations are based on a critical review of the scientific literature and a collaborative appraisal by numerous clinical academics actively treating people with schizophrenia worldwide, representing various countries and clinical settings, including those in the Global South. Experts by experience were also involved. Our recommendations indicate that the comprehensive care of schizophrenia should involve: a) early detection; b) measurement-based monitoring; c) pharmacological treatments; d) psychological interventions; e) psychosocial interventions (including supported employment, housing and education); f) management of somatic conditions; g) community care; h) inpatient care; i) peer support, self-help, and alternative healing methods; j) population-level prevention, and l) societal-level support. The overarching core recommendation is to implement evidence-based care that addresses disparities across high- to middle/low-resource settings, emphasizing early intervention (and prevention when possible), culturally-sensitive paradigms that leverage the local existing resources, and task-sharing models that involve non-professional health care workers and, if possible, traditional healers. In the future, we expect that scalable and resource-saving, evidence-based digital solutions will help extend and improve care quality and efficiency across all resource settings. However, none of this can be achieved without adequately focusing on and strengthening mental health funding, improving access to care, addressing social determinants of health, and recognizing that care for people at risk for or living with schizophrenia is uneven and in need of improvement across all settings.