Once a thorough assessment has been completed, a treatment plan will be developed.
Most treatment for psychosis occurs in the community. Individuals can visit local mental health clinics on a regular basis, or arrange for home visits if available in their community.
If hospitalization is required, it is usually only for a brief period to treat the very acute and distressing symptoms of psychosis.
Goals of Treatment
- Decreasing positive and negative symptoms of psychosis
- Reducing secondary symptoms such as anxiety
- Minimizing the likelihood that other disorders develop such as substance use or depression
- Preventing relapse
- Enhancing quality of life
- Minimizing disruption to the person's development in such areas as school, work and social pursuits
- Maintaining or increasing cognitive abilities such as concentration and memory
- Minimizing side-effects of medication
The different treatments in early psychosis services can be divided into two main groups: