Early intervention in schizophrenia in the elderly

Objective: The aim of this paper is to briefly review the literature on ear ly intervention in schizophrenia in the elderly, and to present six cases o f schizophrenia in the elderly which highlight the need for assertive manag ement of the type encouraged widely for early onset illness in younger pati ents. Method: Six case histories are presented. Results: All six patients were diagnosed with DSM-IV schizophrenia, all wer e single and all were socially isolated. They required involuntary admissio n, treatment with depot antipsychotics, extensive psychosocial intervention and community treatment orders. The use of these treatment strategies led to a positive outcome in each case. Conclusion: The authors argue that assertive treatment of elderly patients with schizophrenia should be pursued with the enthusiasm often reserved for younger, early onset patients, and that therapeutic optimism is required a nd warranted.