Until recently, medical professionals believed that only a minority of patients could recover from schizophrenia. But now, new Norwegian research suggests that more than half of the study participants are doing well.
After four years of treatment, 55 per cent of the young people were partially or fully recovered, and fully ten per cent of those who are fully recovered no longer use medication.
“Having such a high proportion be well-functioning shows that schizophrenic patients have a greater potential to get well than previous research has shown,” says Professor Anne-Kari Torgalsbøen at the University of Oslo’s Department of Psychology.
For me it all comes down to the definition of recovered. It is my belief a lot of researchers define recovery as absence of florid positive symptoms. They don’t take into account things like social function and negatives in general.
I was psychotic since I was 12 years old, my pdoc said that I made a great improvement, however, symptoms may be back due to my OCD. But its good to recover
This is good news, I am excited because I was diagnose at age 18, now 3 year later I’ve been on meds straight for 1 year and I intend to keep up for at least 3 more years.
What does It says about those with multiple episodes @firemonkey ?
I can’t find this paper, but the author has published orhers in which she describes recovery as including things like working or going to school part time or more, socializing at least once a week, having normal family relationships, etc as well as positive symptoms that are in remission.
“Working or studying, having symptoms that are stably mild or absent for two years or more, having contact with friends and/or dating, participating in leisure activities and
living independently define full recovery.”
If this is true more resources should be spent on early intervention. My first pdoc was horrible and made me constantly relive a first episode and I know if I had a good pdoc I’d bendong better niw
I agree, too many stories of people being ill, and everyone knows it (except the ill person) but they’re not dangerous, so no treatment. For years. That should not happen, but I’m afraid it is the rule, not the exception.
This researcher does not focus particularly on positive symptoms, but rather on functioning. You could probably still discuss her criteria, though. But the results are uplifting nonetheless.