The outpatient treatment of schizophrenia: an integrated and comprehensive management-oriented approach.

In this era of de-institutionalization, it is incumbent on the mental health profession to develop techniques to treat disorders of the schizophrenic spectrum that are as effective as possible and cost efficient. Such techniques are most likely to be useful to the degree that they can be constructed on a critical analysis of research relevant to the nature of the schizophrenic disorder and the efficacy of past treatment modalities. The past two decades have seen a wealth of research in these areas. A review of this work suggests that an integrated strategy of management is the treatment approach most indicated for this disorder. Details of one such comprehensive approach are presented for two symptoms-subgroups of schizophrenic outpatients.