Early intervention in schizophrenia in the elderly

Objective: The aim of this paper is to briefly review the literature on early intervention in schizophrenia in the elderly, and to present six cases of schizophrenia in the elderly which highlight the need for assertive management of the type encouraged widely for early onset illness in younger patients. Method: Six case histories are presented. Results: All six patients were diagnosed with DSM-IV schizophrenia, all were single and all were socially isolated. They required involuntary admission, treatment with depot antipsychotics, extensive psychosocial intervention and community treatment orders. The use of these treatment strategies led to a positive outcome in each case. Conclusion: The authors argue that assertive treatment of elderly patients with schizophrenia should be pursued with the enthusiasm often reserved for younger, early onset patients, and that therapeutic optimism is required and warranted.