INTEGRATING PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PHARMACOTHERAPY FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA

Schizophrenia can no longer be viewed as a chronic, inexorably deterio rating disorder with little chance for rehabilitation or recovery. Fel icitous outcomes, however, are achieved only if treatment and rehabili tative services are continuously provided to individuals and their fam ilies. Clinicians can no longer be content to rely solely on a biomedi cal model of treatment that reduces the disorder to tbe biological cor relates of psychotic symptoms. instead a biopsychosocial perspective, which emphasizes tbe interaction of the brain, behavior; and tbe envir onment, serves as the foundation for the integration of psychopharmaco logy and psychotherapy. This integration has arisen specifically to de velop, evaluate, and disseminate those techniques that improve the soc ial functioning of people with serious mental illnesses such as schizo phrenia. Employing the biopsychosocial approach to comprehensive care- including training in social and independent living skills, family psy choeducation, self-management of medication and symptoms-can amplify t he impact of medication in fostering better outcomes and higher levels of personal functioning. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.