General Management Guidelines for Schizophrenia Psychosis Identifying people at risk of psychosis • • • One third of people identified at risk (prodromal phase) experience a full psychotic episode within the first year It is important to identify them because: - Enable treatment immediately to reduce risk or minimise the impact of a full psychotic episode developing - Reduce the risk of suicide and self-harm ➔ 2/3rds of people at risk have suicidal thoughts and self-harm ➔ 1/5th attempt suicide A person is considered psychotic if have recently experienced sgnifcnat functional decline or have lonstanding poor function and have any of the following: - One or more epsidoes of transiet positive symptms lasting less than a week that have sponately remiiteed ➔ High risk - Attenuated psychotic symtomps ➔ E.g. unusual perceptions, experiences, odd beliefs, disorgansied speech lasting for longer than a week ➔ Personality disorder with schizotypal traits ➔ A family history of a psychotic disorder Important note on management • Do not start them on ana antipsycitoc unless: - Have had frank psychotic symptms for one week or longer ➔ Undertake a psychotic epsidoe assessment - Are at tisk of harming them sleves or others because of pshotic symptms