EARLY SCHIZOPHRENIA
Abstract
The recent increase of interest in therapy is opening up a new chapter in the attack upon schizophrenia. Whatever may be the eventual evaluation of the more recently introduced therapeutic procedures, they have served to focus our attention upon the fact, long recognized in general medicine, that the results to be obtained from any therapy are dependent not merely upon the nature of that therapy but also upon the recency of the illness. Through having our attention so focused we are forced to appreciate the fact that very early schizophrenia still constitutes a relatively unexplored territory. Entry into this territory calls for new ideas on the social problems involved in bringing the early schizophrenic promptly under treatment, or where the treatment should be carried out and in what it should consist.
These fresh steps can, however, be taken only in the light of more extensive acquaintance with the data, both personal and environmental, presented by the early schizophrenic. Hence this survey in which we have attempted to find out what are the earliest things which the relatives, friends, and others in contact with the subsequent patient notice going wrong with him. We have tried to see in what environment the patient is during these early stages and how the various people around him during this time— his relatives and friends, his employer and his physician—react to his growing abnormality. Finally we have considered the development of certain social trends—the growing acceptance of routine health examinations and the increasing utilization of general hospitals for psychiatric treatment—which may be of immense importance in the satisfactory detection and treatment of early schizophrenia.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).
