Introduction to mini-series on schizophrenia

Abstract

It is fitting that the first mini-series issue of Behaviour Change should be devoted to an exposition of current cognitive-behavioural treatments for various aspects of schizophrenia. The disorder has a surprisingly high incidence in the population. Approximately 1 in 100 people will develop schizophrenia during the course of their life-time (Cancro, 1980). Arieti (1981) observes that more hospital beds are occupied by individuals suffering from schizophrenia than from any other psychiatric or medical problem, including cancer or cardiovascular disease.The introduction of the phenothiazines in the 1950s resulted in dramatic increases in hospital discharges for schizophrenic patients but did ..