New therapies help people with schizophrenia, but access is woefully inadequate

Researchers are developing innovative non-drug therapies to help people with schizophrenia, but access to these treatments remains limited. Schizophrenia, first described in 1899 by German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin, is characterized by hearing voices and holding strange beliefs. Although Kraepelin believed the disorder would cause a worsening of daily living skills, studies now show that about 40% of those diagnosed have mild or no symptoms and can maintain jobs and relationships.

However, the majority of people with schizophrenia experience persistent, disabling and isolating conditions. Schizophrenia is among the top 10 leading causes of disability and affects a significant portion of the homeless population and U.S. prison inmates. Mental health experts have developed new therapies to address cognitive and social difficulties among people with schizophrenia.

Cognitive remediation, for example, uses exercises to improve mental sharpness and has been shown to improve cognition and daily living skills in controlled trials. Other therapies focus on teaching social cognitive skills to help people with schizophrenia recognize others' emotions and motivations, reducing the likelihood of assuming others are trying to harm them. These new therapies show promise, but access remains inadequate.