Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that can present with both positive and negative symptoms. Although most patients develop symptoms of schizophrenia in young adulthood, there are a significant number of individuals who can develop symptoms of schizophrenia in later life (late onset and very late onset). A thorough assessment of older adults includes ruling out medical factors along with a potential neurodegenerative process, which are essential steps in diagnosing schizophrenia in later life. Other primary psychiatric disorders should also be on the differential including bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder with psychosis. Psychosocial interventions along with interventions targeting cognitive remediation and social skills have demonstrated improvement in quality of life. The second-generation antipsychotics are preferred for use among older adults who present with symptoms of schizophrenia unless they do not respond to these drugs or develop intolerable side effects. In these situations, first-generation antipsychotics may be used cautiously.