Recovery-oriented psychopharmacology: Redefining the goals of antipsychotic treatment

The traditional goals of psychopharmacology stem from the medical model. Re habilitation interventions attempt to improve aspects of functioning in pat ients with chronic illnesses that are nor responsive to biological interven tion. Recovery is a concept emanating from the consumer self-help movement, it describes a move away from the patient role defined by a diagnostic lab el toward community membership defined by relationships and responsibilitie s in the community. Comprehensive care for people with psychotic disorders can include attention to each realm. This article provides an overview of t he 3 models of care and describes a role for the psychopharmacologist in ea ch as well as his or her unique potential to incorporate all 3. We outline potential synergistic benefits of integrating recovery-, rehabilitation-, a nd medical-model thinking into the practice of psychopharmacology and explo re implications for the goals and outcomes of treatment for people with psy chotic disorders.