Functional Recovery in Schizophrenia

Recovery in schizophrenia is a topic that generates not only major clinical attention but also a significant economic and social impact. Until seventy years ago, these patients remained held in psychiatric institutions or asylums, usually with no hope of reintegrating into the community. A narrative review of relevant literature was conducted in order to answer key questions regarding recovery in schizophrenia. Treatment objectives in schizophrenia have changed substantially: from expecting a modest control of psychotic symptoms to considering functional recovery as a possibility. Available evidence indicates that one in seven patients with schizophrenia will achieve functional recovery, which implies that remission of positive symptoms is not the ultimate goal of treatment but only a basis for better social and cognitive functioning that translates into better quality of life. This view until recently was not believed to be possible for this major mental disorder.