First Argentine Consensus on Schizophrenia: Section four. Special Populations and Complex Clinical Scenarios

Abstract

This document constitutes the fourth and final part of the First Argentine Consensus on the Management of Schizophrenia, developed by the Argentine Association of Biological Psychiatry (AAPB). In continuity with the objectives established in the previous sections, this stage of the consensus focuses on the comprehensive management of schizophrenia in special populations and in highly complex clinical situations.The present section includes a critical review and expert appraisal of the available scientific evidence regarding: a) the management of treatment-resistant and ultra-treatment-resistant schizophrenia; b) the approach to schizophrenia in children and adolescents; c) the treatment of women with schizophrenia during the perinatal period; d) the management of schizophrenia in older adults; e) the prevention and management of suicide in patients with schizophrenia; f) the impact of stigma and its clinical and social implications; g) the relevance of physical activity and healthy lifestyle habits in functional and cardiometabolic outcomes; h) current guidelines for psychosocial rehabilitation; i) the management of individuals with schizophrenia experiencing homelessness and extreme social vulnerability; and j) the medico-legal and forensic aspects associated with the disorder.Finally, the document incorporates a section specifically dedicated to associations of family members and caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia, highlighting the central role of the family environment in therapeutic support, treatment adherence, and patients’ functional recovery. --- With the participation of the "Asociación de Ayuda de Familiares de Personas con Esquizofrenia (AAFE)", Argentina.