[Transition: challenges and recommendations for adolescents and young adults with schizophrenia]

First acute episodes or severe recurrent courses of schizophrenia often occur in the age of transition, the transition between the pediatric psychiatric and the adult psychiatric care systems.

Examination of the challenges and recommendations for the transition of patients with schizophrenia.

A narrative review was carried out taking the current S3 guidelines of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF) on schizophrenia into consideration.

The guideline-conform early detection and treatment of schizophrenia is already a challenge independent of the transition. Recommendations on the transition period for clinics and private service providers concern elements of the disorder itself, the structure of the healthcare system and specialized training and culture, and the concepts and financial compensation for treatment transitions.

The updated German S3 guidelines on schizophrenia published in 2025 include numerous recommendations for coordinated treatment in the transition phase but in most parts maintain the age cut-off at 18 years. For optimal care in the age for transition, access to specialized early detection and intervention centers is essential. An overlapping treatment during the transition phase and a bidirectional flexibility of age limits within healthcare systems appear to be beneficial in certain cases.