Before talking about the disease of schizophrenia, it should be first understood that here we are talking about a disease that is chronic and cannot be completely cured in the lifetime of the patient suffering form the disease of schizophrenia. One has to live with it, though proper schizophrenia treatment can effectively lessen the symptoms and mange the situation well enough for the benefit of the sufferer. According to the researches done in some developed countries, it has been observed that out of every one hundred cases, over twenty to thirty five schizophrenia patients generally tend to show a lot of improvement once the treatment is done. However, unfortunately about seventy percent of the patients in question also show a relapse in their health conditions, in about two to five years or so, following their discharge from the hospital after their schizophrenic treatment. The risks of the occurrence of a relapse generally fall drastically after about ten years following the preliminary inception.

For those patients suffering from schizophrenia that experienced their first symptoms, in an acute form, just after their adolescence, and it includes what is termed as ‘positive symptoms’, a positive outcome in the long run maybe experienced. However, sadly enough, a weak prognosis is related to a number of conditions. Some of these conditions are discussed hereunder:

Gradual and slow onset, which begins to occur at quite a tender age, could be a major cause to worry about for the patient suffering from any of the subtypes of schizophrenia.

Belonging to the male gender, might often trigger the problem, for the person suffering from schizophrenia.

No evident sign of precipitating is yet another major factor that should be watched out for.

Often a prevalence of what has been termed as ‘negative symptoms’ have also been noticed be reason to worry. They tend to worsen the cause for the patient.

Holding up of receiving the required treatment obviously acts as quite an unfavorable cause for the concerned person.

Having it in genes, such that the family history traces conditions of disorder in the past generations of the order, makes the schizophrenic patient all the more prone to the cause.

Incidence of some other conditions in the patient suffering from the disease of schizophrenia, such as conditions of substance abuse may worsen the situation even further.

It has been observed that most of the individuals who undergo schizophrenia treatments tend to recover from the disease considerably. However, to make this happen the first vital factor that is important to ensure is that the patient remains on the medication prescribed, and that there is no lapse in the course of treatment of schizophrenia. Any miss in the treatment could lead to a relapse of the schizophrenic conditions in the patient suffering from the disease of schizophrenia, even if the lapse occurred during the phase of no-psychotic episodes. The general recovery rate had been calculated by experts to be about twenty nine to up to eighty three patients in every hundred patients suffering from the disease of schizophrenia, undergoing the treatment. However it is important to know that over twenty to even thirty percent patients tend to show deterioration in their health status than showing any form or recovery.

It is often possible for a patient suffering from the disease of schizophrenia to recover, if the treatment includes the correct combination of services, such as medication, termed as ‘pharmacologic management’, and various types of rehabilitation programs. These rehabilitation programs maybe carried out in both inpatient settings as well as in outpatient settings, making excellent schizophrenia alternative treatment or part of primary schizophrenia treatment options.

Most of the people who are diagnosed with the disease of schizophrenia have to undergo a case of hospitalization, at least some point or the other, over the span of their phase of their disorder. In maximum number of cases it has been seen that hospitalization tends to become inevitable when the patient suffering form symptoms of schizophrenia, is going through or in any way experiencing one of the acute or most severe of his or her psychotic attacks. This is owing to the fact that this is the time when the patient is most uncontrollable and is in the most vulnerable situation too. Intensive care and observation in the hospital is a must during these episodes. This is also true for such schizophrenia patients who are facing symptoms and signs that pose great risk and danger to physical and mental safety too. This danger could be a treat to not only the patient suffering from the disease of schizophrenia, but also sometimes a threat to the people around him or her. These are generally the worst case scenarios.

For other patients suffering from schizophrenia, there are, on a daily basis, care program options too. If permitted by the doctor, the patient could be admitted here instead, as good alternative to the choice of hospitalization. A major advantage of these programs is that they do not expose the patient to an unknown and unfriendly environment that could be sometimes suffocating. Here, the patients suffering form the disease of schizophrenia get to remain in more familiar environment. Thus they are saved from stigmas that come up when the patient in question gets shut away from friends and peers for long spans of time, as they are undergoing the treatment for their disease. In a way, thus, the ‘side effects’ of hospitalization can be easily avoided by opting for such programs. Generally outpatient treatments are highly recommended for such patients suffering from schizophrenia who have faced acute or serious symptoms of severe attacks of paranoia. These treatments are highly beneficial because of the reason that there is a greater scope of developing all the more exclusive physiatrist-patient relationship. This ensures that the patient’s obvious desire for greater autonomy is fulfilled. These factors are all the more important when one has to undergo prolonged medical treatment for schizophrenia.