Schizophrenia Care Plan: Treatment For Symptoms Of Schizophrenia

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, you may need to prepare for some major changes in your life. This mental health disorder can often be managed effectively, but this may require a considerable amount of effort, organization, and attention to detail. Putting together an appropriate schizophrenia care plan could increase your chances of ensuring a healthy, fulfilling life for yourself or the person for whom you’re caring. Your care plan will likely need to include regular interactions with a psychiatrist, a therapist, and a primary care doctor. Social workers may also provide helpful assistance. Effective schizophrenia care may involve meeting your social needs and maintaining a thriving connection with your local community as well. 

Understanding schizophrenia after diagnosis

Learning as much as you can about schizophrenia symptoms from reputable, evidence-based sources can help you make informed schizophrenia care decisions. Researchers have found that educational interventions can improve a patient’s adherence to a treatment regimen and decrease their odds of relapsing.

You may want to start this process by reviewing the description of schizophrenia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). 

Recognizing early signs and severe symptoms

Symptoms of schizophrenia can develop gradually. What begins as mild stress or mood changes can escalate into behaviors that significantly affect daily life. Knowing what to look for early on and how to recognize severe symptoms can be important steps in making sure you or someone you know gets the right support.

Early warning signs of schizophrenia

Early signs of schizophrenia can be subtle and may include: 

• Experiencing emotional changes
• Having mood swings
• Disconnecting from friends and family
• Lacking motivation
• Impaired verbal communication

Positive, negative, and disorganized symptoms

When schizophrenia is active, the person may experience episodes where they are unable to distinguish between what is real and what is not. Symptoms of schizophrenia are typically divided into three categories: 

• Positive symptoms, like hallucinations, paranoia, and distorted perceptions or beliefs. Positive symptoms are those that are typically not present.
• Negative symptoms, like flat affect, decreased speech, social withdrawal, and catatonic behavior. Negative symptoms are those that are abnormally absent. 
• Disorganized symptoms, such as disordered thinking and speech, challenges with logical thinking, and bizarre behavior.

Core goals of a schizophrenia care plan

There is no cure for schizophrenia, but many people who get treatment do well and have minimal symptoms. Some forms of treatment are aimed at reducing psychotic symptoms to enhance daily function and support safety. Other goals of treatment focus on supporting recovery and regaining stability, reducing the potential for future acute episodes, and lessening their severity. For some, offering support for reducing stress, improving social skills, and maintaining employment can also improve long-term expected outcomes.

Evidence-based treatment options

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has detailed practice guidelines for treating schizophrenia that include medication, psychotherapy, and psychosocial interventions.

Medication management

APA guidelines recommend pharmacotherapy as a part of schizophrenia treatment to support symptom control. Some of these guidelines are as follows:

• Patients should be treated with antipsychotic medication and monitored for effectiveness and side effects
• Patients who see improvement from an antipsychotic medication should continue to take the same medication.
• Specific medications are recommended for people with schizophrenia who are treatment-resistant, are at risk for suicide, exhibit aggressive behavior, have acute dystonia, have Parkinsonism associated with medication treatment, or have poor treatment adherence. 

Psychotherapy and psychosocial treatments

The APA also recommends several psychotherapy and psychosocial treatments, including: 

• Treatment in a specialty care program for those who are experiencing their first episode of psychosis
• Cognitive behavioral therapy and other supportive psychotherapy
• Psychoeducation
• Employment services
• Community treatment for those with poor engagement in services, social disruption (like homelessness or legal difficulties), or frequent relapse
• Family support and interventions
• Interventions focusing on developed self-management skills
• Social skills and communication skills training

Community-based and long-term support services

Due to the nature of schizophrenia, care often extends beyond medication and therapy. Long-term recovery and management may require consistent, community-level support that can help people maintain day-to-day stability.

Assertive Community Treatment and case management

Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is one of the most well-researched models for supporting people with severe mental illness in community settings. It involves a multidisciplinary team, including social workers, nurses, therapists, and psychiatrists, who deliver care to the person where they live. One of the benefits of ACT can be its emphasis on building long-lasting therapeutic relationships with teams committed to providing long-term support and reducing hospitalizations.

Housing, employment, and daily living support

ACT can also focus on housing support and vocational rehabilitation. Stable housing and meaningful employment can be crucial for recovery for people with schizophrenia, but they may be easily disrupted. ACT care teams can offer practical support for housing, employment, money management, and day-to-day needs to help fill gaps that may exist after clinical treatment.

Managing stress and preventing relapse

Stress can have a significant impact on those with schizophrenia, potentially triggering psychotic episodes. Because of this, managing stress can be an important coping mechanism for people with this mental illness. 

Stress management techniques for schizophrenia

Stress management techniques may help reduce the intensity of symptoms or avoid relapse for some people with schizophrenia, including those listed below:

• Getting regular exercise
• Establishing consistent sleep routines
• Avoiding substance use
• Joining a peer support group
• Using deep breathing techniques
• Journaling and mood tracking
• Reducing stimulation

Identifying triggers and early intervention

Some people may experience a prodromal phase that can come before a psychotic episode, which typically consists of mild positive and negative symptoms. Learning how to identify these early warning signs and the things that trigger them can help someone with schizophrenia learn to seek timely support and focus on symptom control that may prevent a psychotic episode from occurring.

Addressing co-occurring mental health disorders

Schizophrenia may occur with other mental health disorders. There may be many reasons for this, including genetic factors and adverse childhood experiences. When someone is coping with symptoms of schizophrenia along with another disorder, it can complicate treatment, which can make seeking appropriate and timely support crucial to recovery. 

Other mental health disorders

Research suggests that people with schizophrenia have the most common comorbid conditions associated with schizophrenia, including major depressive disorder, alcohol use, cannabis use, and post-traumatic stress disorder. This study also determined that, among those comorbid psychiatric conditions, “only 26% received minimally adequate treatment,” highlighting the importance of a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses the full range of mental health needs, not just the primary diagnosis.

Suicide risk and crisis planning

People with schizophrenia are at elevated risk for suicidal ideation and dying by suicide. According to a study from Columbia University, people with schizophrenia have a 4.5-fold increased risk of dying from suicide.  

Knowing these risks can help people with schizophrenia and their friends and family be prepared for an emergency. If you or someone you love is having suicidal thoughts, call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 right away. If you or someone else is in danger, call 911.

It can be a good idea to prepare a list of key information that caregivers, doctors, and first responders can quickly review in a crisis, potentially including the following:

• Contact information of care providers and case managers
• Emergency contacts like trusted friends and family members
• Information about your diagnosis
• Names of medications you’re taking
• Information about what has helped with past relapses

Getting support through BetterHelp

Because treatment is generally tailored to the needs of the individual, schizophrenia care plans can vary from one person to the next. For some, meeting regularly with a licensed therapist can have many benefits, including offering a constructive outlet for stress, providing mental health support, and monitoring for relapse warning signs. If the realities of your condition make it hard for you to see a therapist in person, online therapy could be a helpful alternative. Attending sessions remotely rather than face-to-face is often easier.

Online therapy to add to your schizophrenia care plan

The effectiveness of online treatment for schizophrenia is still being studied, but some research has been promising. For example, one 2021 study states, “The use of telehealth with individuals that suffer from serious mental illness and psychosis has been demonstrated to be feasible and acceptable, with effectiveness that is comparable to in-person clinical care.” A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that, “Studies to date suggest that remote adaptations may be effective; however, more rigorous trials are needed to assess efficacy and methods of remote delivery that are most effective.”