The recently published NICE clinical guideline CG155 notes that the prevalence of psychotic illness in children aged
5–18 is 0.4%; with poor outcomes for approximately one third of service
users diagnosed with schizophrenia (NICE, 2013). Antipsychotic treatment
is a key aspect of treatment but there
is concern that this service user group
is more sensitive to the adverse effects
of antipsychotics, such as movement disorder, weight gain and metabolic effects (NICE, 2013). It is important that while considering treatment strategies involving medication, the psychosocial aspect of