Sequenced Atypical Antipsychotics Therapy With Intensive or Basic Psychosocial Intervention for First-episode Schizophrenia: An Effectiveness Study

Schizophrenia is not a curable but a treatable disease by antipsychotics. Kinds of atypical antipsychotics are widely used since 1990s' in China. Although their efficacy for acute phase are all better than typicals, individulized regimen of them for first-episode schizophrenia and their effectiveness in real naturalistic clinical settings still remain unclear. And those patients also need more comprehensive intervention such as psychosocial programs to improve their function. This protocol is to conduct a study in several sites of China to investigate the effectiveness of comprehensive intervention combining sequenced atypical antipsychotic therapy and intensive psychosocial intervention for first-episode schizophrenic patients. In addition, this protocol also aims at collecting such information as molecular genetics, neurochemical test, neucognitive performance and neuroimaging for outcome analysis.