Edinburgh Napier University

  Schizophrenia remains a contentious concept. Kraepelin's presumption that schizophrenia has a biological origin still predominates despite consistently inconclusive evidence. Current research consequently favours finding a cure as opposed to focusing on more pragmatic solutions. Nevertheless, alternative viewpoints are gaining more credence, as their practical efficacy increasingly becomes empirically demonstrable. This article focuses on one such demonstration, showing how a nurse prescriber can achieve concordance with someone diagnosed with schizophrenia. It starts by briefly reviewing the origins of the concept of schizophrenia. It then introduces current classification, based on the latest DSM-V criteria for diagnosis. The limits of this classification are then highlighted by introducing research that challenges the salience of these criteria. The paper then goes on to demonstrate the practical consequences of understanding all of this research by presenting an evidence-based approach to helping someone diagnosed with schizophrenia. It uses the SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendations) format to frame the case study. The case study shows how important it is to understand what effects (good and bad) antipsychotic drugs can have, and goes on to demonstrate that as in any case of medicine management, the concept of concordance underpins optimal outcome.