Researchers on March 1 released results from the CATIE (Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness) study, touted as the largest and most informative study ever conducted on currently available antipsychotic drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia. One of two CATIE studies examined the effectiveness of different medications and found that treatment needs to be targeted and individualized for patients.

Marvin Swartz, M.D., lead author of the second CATIE study on psychosocial functioning, said this study is unique because many clinical trials fail to examine whether the patient is actually functioning better in the community. Swartz and his colleagues found that while medications can improve functioning to a limited extent, more intensive psychosocial therapies are needed for schizophrenia patients to make meaningful gains in work, at home and in the community.