Considerable advances in the understanding and progress of treatment of schizophrenia are reflected in this totally revised and updated second edition. In many respects, the field of schizophrenia research has changed dramatically since the first edition of this book. There are now several genes that appear to be valid susceptibility factors for illness, and these discoveries will very probably lead to a new understanding of causation and to new targets for therapeutic intervention.

The authors here describe key areas in the holistic treatment of people with schizophrenia. In particular, they firmly put the importance of psychosocial treatments back on the agenda. Due to the profusion of literature addressing pharmacological treatments, only one chapter is devoted to these, reviewing the latest data concerning the newer antipsychotic agents and providing clinical pointers and guidelines for their use. The book’s real emphasis is on the psychosocial interventions for specific aspects of schizophrenia symptoms and disability.

Offers broad coverage that encompasses the current state of knowledge the cause, nature, and treatment of schizophrenia. Experts from North America and Europe have contributed chapters that address the complexity of schizophrenia in a comprehensive volume on this perplexing mental illness.

Schizophrenia: Challenging the Orthodox focuses on the most salient current issues in the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of schizophrenia, and critically analyses the evidence supporting many of the conventional opinions about the disease. Chapters by leading basic science and clinical researchers address some of the more controversial issues in schizophrenia research, including the usefulness of early intervention in psychosis, the role of social environment in the disease, and the future of genetic research.