The Pilot Project ‘Soteria Berne’ Clinical Experiences and Results

Abstract

We still do not know enough about the aetiology and pathogenesis of schizophrenia, nor are the therapeutic methods generated by our definition of it satisfactory. Therefore, innovative approaches to treating schizophrenic patients, even if they only promise some partial progress, warrant consideration. The purpose of the pilot project ‘Soteria Berne’ is to assess the effectiveness of an open residential programme which has been providing mainly psychotherapy, sociotherapy, and milieu therapy instead of standard pharmacotherapy to about 60 acute schizophrenic patients for more than six years.