Deep Concern

We are three senior clinicians and investigators in the field of schizophrenia research from different parts of the world. We want to emphasize our common deep concern for the often devastating consequences of neglecting, particularly in legal issues, the fact that favorable long term outcomes occur in schizophrenia in a considerable number of cases. Convergent findings from the 11 world studies of 2030+ years from first admission have consistently shown that persons labeled with prolonged and episodic forms of schizophrenia have a strong possibility of favorable long-term outcomes if given half a chance.1-11 However, many such persons become adjudicated by the criminal justice system for small legal infractions, known as misdemeanors, and then languish there indefinitely for years on the assumptions that schizophrenia is nothing but a chronic debilitating disease with little hope of reclaiming a life and full citizenship.