Need-adapted treatment of new schizophrenic patients: experiences and results of the Turku Project

This article describes a psychotherapeutically oriented approach to schizophrenia developed especially to meet the needs of the community psychiatric field. Because of the heterogeneous nature of the schizophrenic psychoses, the authors emphasize that these patients should always be treated based on case-specific premises. The main principles of the need-adapted approach are: 1. The therapeutic activities are planned and carried out flexibly and individually in each case so that they meet the real and changing needs of the patients as well as of their family members. 2. Examination and treatment are dominated by a psychotherapeutic attitude. 3. The different therapeutic activities should support and not impair each other. 4. The process quality of therapy is clearly perceived. A family-centred initiation of the treatment is especially emphasized for both diagnostic and therapeutic reasons. The positive experiences of this led the Finnish national programme for the treatment and rehabilitation of schizophrenic patients to recommend the establishment of family- and environment-oriented acute psychosis teams (APT) in the mental health districts. In later phases of treatment, the significance of individual psychotherapy is increased. The preliminary results of the approach are presented and compared with an earlier sample of patients.