During the last three decades, clinical research has increasingly indicated that community-based psychosocial
interventions can improve the longer-term outcomes of patients with schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses.
A critical review of the common approaches to psychosocial intervention for people with schizophrenia was therefore performed. First, the concepts and research evidence of five main approaches to psychosocial interventions for schizophrenia (ie, cognitive therapy, psychoeducation programs, family intervention, social skills training programs, and assertive community treatment [ACT]) are discussed. Second, this review provides a summary of and discussion on the relative efficacy of the most commonly used approaches to psychosocial interventions in terms of their effect sizes on their most commonly reported patient outcomes. Third, the importance of person-focused perspectives such as quality of life, patient satisfaction and acceptability, and adherence to treatment and its use in research on psychosocial interventions for
schizophrenia are also discussed. Finally, we have made several recommendations for best practice in schizophrenia
treatment on the basis of this review, as well as another related review published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and
Treatment These findings and discussions can increase our understanding of the most effective means for people with
schizophrenia to be better managed within the community, as well as suggesting ways to improve community-based
interventions and rehabilitation for schizophrenia.