**17. Early intervention and prevention**

Early intervention may be able to delay or even prevent onset of psychosis in the UHR or prodromal stage. Both antipsychotic medication (risperidone 1–2 mg/day, olanzapine 5–15 mg/day) and psychological interventions (cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), case management, supportive therapy, problem-solving strategies) might have a role in treating the difficulties and problems that UHR young people experience, as well as in reducing the rate of transition to psychosis and in reducing symptomatology. Deterioration in psychosocial functioning and persistent disability is also an important treatment goal [1].

Therapeutic strategies must be personalized and correlated with the first psychotic episode stages. Treatment for young people who meet ARMS criteria should

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*Schizophrenia: Early Recognition and Prevention DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88537*

the edge of a conversion to full psychosis.

individuals who are "false positives" [22].

these putatively prodromal patients [1].

been conducted for over a decade.

most effective and how long they should be continued.

neuroprotective qualities.

not only focus on the symptoms that constitute the ARMS criteria but also address

Side effects associated with all antipsychotic medications are weight gain, diabetes, and sexual dysfunction for olanzapine [55–57] and sexual dysfunction and insomnia for risperidone [1]. Extrapyramidal side effects such as tardive dyskinesia, which is often irreversible, are less common with the newer, atypical antipsychotics [58, 59]. Evidence also suggests that certain antipsychotics (haloperidol) reduced gray matter volume in the brains of patients with a first episode of psychosis [60]. In contrast the newer second-generation antipsychotic medications, in fact, have

Antipsychotic drugs are potentially useful in the latter phases of the prodromal period when attenuated psychotic symptoms are evident and the individual is on

Psychological interventions are useful in earlier and less symptomatic stages of the prodrome, to manage the stress, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and decline in functioning. CBT should be effective for people with attenuated psychotic symptoms or with brief limited intermittent psychotic symptoms and for

Psychological treatments may be not only necessary but sufficient for some of

Further researches are required to determine which treatment strategies are

Ethical considerations associated with treatment of young people who meet ARMS criteria have been widely debated [17, 28, 40, 41, 42, 45, 46]. Concerns about stigma associated with being identified as having a label of ARMS "false positives" and for how long should treatment be provided (in other words, how long is the period of risk) remain unresolved, and even clinical research into ARMS has now

the range of difficulties which the young person might present.
