Guest Editorial Longitudinal Studies of Outcome and Recovery in Schizophrenia and Early Intervention: Can They Make a Difference?

nowledge about typical course and outcome are valuable for a better understanding of any disorder. In schizophrenia, it is particularly important, since some key concepts of this disorder involve views about its course and outcome. The concept of schizophrenia is linked to early views of a chronic disorder and a decline in functioning, or at least very poor outcome. Thus schizophrenia was once viewed by Kraepelin, who pio-neered the concept of dementia praecox, as a disorder with a progressive downhill course (1). Bleuler’s later, somewhat more optimistic outlook, still viewed some aspects of psychopathology in schizophrenia as always present, although in reduced form at times (2). If these older, more pessimistic views are examined from a contemporary standpoint, several issues arise. One is whethe