NEWS RELEASE March 24, 1997
American Psychiatric Association
1400 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005
CONTACT: Gus Cervini; (202) 682-6142; [email protected]
EMBARGOED UNTIL APRIL 1, 1997
* * * MEDIA ADVISORY * * *
APA ANNOUNCES FIRST PUBLICATION OF PRACTICE GUIDELINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA
o Media Backgrounder Kit Available
o Interview Opportunities With Schizophrenia Experts
The American Psychiatric Association announces the April 1, 1997, release of Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Schizophrenia, the seventh in the APA series of practice guidelines for mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The Schizophrenia guideline is the work of a six-member group led by Marvin I. Herz, M.D. Several hundred psychiatrists and dozens of organizations helped develop the guideline.
The new practice guideline is a tool for use by psychiatric physicians to help ensure optimal psychiatric management of each individual's case, the highest possible quality of treatment, and to encourage the continuity of care that benefits patients, families, and communities.
The scientific evidence-based Schizophrenia guideline highlights the use of new antipsychotic medications which will benefit patients with this disorder. It also emphasizes the need for early treatment and the importance of comprehensive and continuous long-term psychiatric care.
About 1 percent of Americans will develop schizophrenia. Two million currently have the disorder. Considered a brain disease, schizophrenia's effects vary from person to person. It can cause distorted thinking, delusions, and hallucinations, and it dulls normal emotions. It is one of the most debilitating and misunderstood illnesses known. Unfortunately, it is a chronic illness that affects most sufferers over a lifetime. However, its symptoms generally can be controlled with treatment.
Schizophrenia, especially when left untreated or undertreated, has devastating effects on patients, families, and their communities. Society pays a high price when people with the disorder are inappropriately denied treatment, necessary public assistance, and supportive housing. It often can result in homelessness or incarceration. Important Note to Media:
The APA offers to media a backgrounder kit (available Tuesday, March 25) on the new practice guideline. The kit includes:
o the guideline itself
o full news release highlighting the guideline
o information on how to contact and schedule interviews with members of the Workgroup on Schizophrenia, members of the Steering Committee on Practice Guidelines, and a national leader from a patient and family advocacy organization. These experts are clearing space in their calendars (primarily on Monday, March 31, the day before the guideline's release) to be available to speak with media
o brief biographies of these experts and brief statements from them on the release of the guideline (as made available by the experts)
o backgrounder on the APA practice guideline development process
o reprint of an American Journal of Psychiatry editorial on APA's practice guidelines Media -- Call as soon as possible to obtain the backgrounder kit (including its schedule of interview opportunities). Provide your name, the name of your organization, a voice telephone number and fax number. Tell us how you wish to have the backgrounder kits delivered to you. In order to ensure adequate time to read the background material and prepare for interview opportunities with the experts, you may send a messenger to APA's Division of Public Affairs to pick up your kit (if you're in Washington). If you're outside the Washington area, you may give us a Federal Express number in order to ensure timely delivery.
Contact Gus Cervini, APA Media Coordinator at (202) 682-6142 (voice), e-mail:
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The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the nation's oldest medical speciality society, whose 42,000 physician members specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional illnesses and substance use disorders.
The text of this news release is available in electronic format to CompuServe subscribers. In CompuServe's Journalism forum (go jforum), go to the SciNews-MedNews Library (section 17), and search for files with the extension ".APA" (e.g. "Schizoph.APA"). You are also encouraged to visit Newswise, the World Wide Web site at
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