Negative symptoms are regarded as more difficult to treat than positive symptoms. They include withdrawal from social contact, slowness of thinking or movement, emotional blunting, inability to cope with the activities of daily living and lack of drive. Negative symptoms are particularly distressing for patients and their family, and seriously hamper reintegration and rehabilitation.

With increasing knowledge of schizophrenia two additional dimensions are assuming importance: affective symptoms (intense anxiety, depression, excitement) and cognitive impairment.

The illness has devastating consequences for affected individuals and their families. Early, effective and well-tolerated treatment is essential to limit the damage to personal identity and social functioning caused by the underlying changes in brain function.

Schizophrenia affects about one in 100 people during their lifetime. Although it affects men and women equally, the first psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia are often seen in the teens or twenties in men and in the twenties or early thirties in women.

Some cases of schizophrenia appear to be inherited, but schizophrenia is also related to psychological and social factors. It is estimated that about 50% of all schizophrenia patients will attempt suicide at least once.

The prognosis for patients with schizophrenia is variable. It is estimated that only between 15 and 25% of patients make a complete recovery and about 65 to 75% will suffer relapses.

Treatment of schizophrenia is not limited to drug treatment. Other therapeutic modalities include education of patients, families and friends about the illness and helping patients to acquire the social and other skills necessary to re-enter the community and improve their quality of life.

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