Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026
10:32
Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
Published on: April 23, 2014
What is the best approach to treating schizophrenia in developing countries?
Vikram Patel1, Saeed Farooq, R Thara
1International Mental Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom. vikram.patel@lshtm.ac.uk
Plos Medicine
|June 21, 2007
Summary
Schizophrenia impacts millions globally, yet treatment access remains critically low in developing nations. This article explores expert views on improving care for schizophrenia patients in these regions.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Global Mental Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Schizophrenia affects approximately 25 million individuals in low- and middle-income countries, with a 1% lifetime risk.
- The condition is linked to increased mortality, and a significant majority of patients in developing countries do not receive treatment.
- Treatment rates for schizophrenia have not improved since 1990, highlighting a persistent gap in care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present differing viewpoints from psychiatrists on the current state of schizophrenia treatment in developing countries.
- To discuss strategies for increasing the proportion of schizophrenia patients who receive adequate care.
Main Methods:
- This article presents a debate among three psychiatrists.
- It synthesizes expert opinions on the challenges and potential solutions for schizophrenia treatment in resource-limited settings.
Main Results:
- The article highlights a critical disparity in schizophrenia treatment access between developed and developing nations.
- It underscores the ongoing debate regarding the most effective methods to enhance patient care and treatment accessibility.
Conclusions:
- Urgent attention and innovative strategies are needed to improve schizophrenia treatment in low- and middle-income countries.
- Addressing the treatment gap requires a multi-faceted approach, incorporating diverse professional perspectives.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
Antipsychotic drugs are a crucial treatment method for acute and chronic psychoses, bipolar illness, and behavioral disorders. The selection of these drugs depends on several factors, including the state of the disease, clinical judgment, possible drug interactions, and the patient's sensitivity to adverse effects. In immediate scenarios, such as delirium and dementia, short-term treatment with low doses of high-potency typical or atypical agents can effectively manage symptom exacerbation. For...
01:29Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
01:28Drug Therapy
The advent of drug therapy has profoundly shaped modern mental health care, providing targeted treatments for a range of psychological disorders. Psychotherapeutic drugs, classified into antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications, address symptoms across anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. While these medications have transformed patient outcomes, they require careful management due to their potential side effects and limitations.
Antianxiety Medications
Antianxiety Medications
01:24Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders
Treatment approaches for psychological disorders fall into three main categories: psychological, biological, and sociocultural. Each approach targets different aspects of mental health, requiring varying levels of education and training.
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
01:28Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview
The term "psychosis" refers to a spectrum of mental disorders characterized by abnormal thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors. It can manifest as mood disorders, dementia, delirium with psychotic features, substance-induced psychosis with psychotic features, brief psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia. Among all these disorders, schizophrenia is the most common psychotic disorder, affecting 1% of the worldwide population. Psychotic symptoms in all...
01:27Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose origins are rooted in complex genetic components. Despite our burgeoning understanding, the pathophysiology of this disorder remains incompletely deciphered.
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...