A set of principles for the treatment of schizophrenia will be introduced tomorrow in an attempt to improve the State's treatment of people with the condition.
The principles were drawn up by Schizophrenia Ireland and the Irish Psychiatric Association.
Dr Siobhán Barry of the IPA said the plight of people with schizophrenia had been neglected. Treatment varied widely, depending on where the patient lived. A recent IPA survey found that 23 per cent of mental health services did not even have the input of a psychologist.
Many people with schizophrenia had great difficulty in campaigning for their rights, because of the stigma attached to the illness, Dr Barry said.
Mr John Saunders, director of Schizophrenia Ireland, said the principles were drawn up because of reports of people's "varying experiences" of standards of care and treatment.
They also outline basic standards for the physical condition of institutions. It was "unfortunate" that such basic standards had to be outlined, Dr Barry said, but the annual report from the inspector of mental hospitals showed that certain institutions were not upholding them.
The document is being published as part of Lucia Week, the annual schizophrenia awareness week. The initiative is named after James Joyce's daughter, who was diagnosed with the disorder in her early 20s.
An estimated 1 per cent of the population will experience an episode of psychosis or develop schizophrenia.
