Scientists have developed effective and safer antipsychotic medications, but much improvement is still needed.
As people enter early adulthood, some unexpectedly experience episodes of psychosis. These episodes, which involve persistent hallucinations, delusions, and unusual thoughts or behaviors, can seem to come out of nowhere and affect people from many different backgrounds. They can last weeks, months, or years. When these episodes persist or recur, they can lead to diagnoses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.Schizophrenia, for example, involves months of hallucinations, changes in cognition and behavior, muted emotions, social withdrawal, and unusual jerky movements.This transformation can be very disorienting, altering lives, straining relationships, and affecting people’s ability to live and work as they would want.In the past, we had little understanding of these conditions or how to manage them, and without rigorous clinical trials, it was difficult to distinguish effective treatments from hype.With better scientific practices and technology, we can now treat these conditions more effectively and safely.But there’s still a long way to go, and the story of psychosis treatment is incomplete. By understanding its history, we’ll see how much progress has been made and how much potential remains.The development of antipsychotic medications
[...][...]Modern antipsychotic treatments need broader efficacy and safety
Antipsychotic drugs have changed the lives of many people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and provide doctors with safer and more effective options for treatment.They are effective in reducing some symptoms of schizophrenia, especially hallucinations, delusions, and unusual thoughts, and reducing the chances of a subsequent episode of psychosis.[...]