Final answer:
True, early intervention is a priority in treating early-onset schizophrenia aimed at improving long-term outcomes. Treatment often involves antipsychotic medications that manage symptoms but do not cure the disorder.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is True: Early intervention is considered a priority in the treatment of early-onset schizophrenia with the goal of improving long-term outcomes. Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, sense of self, and behavior. Early intervention in schizophrenia, which often presents in late adolescence or early adulthood, involves timely detection and treatment with the aim of slowing progression, reducing the severity of symptoms, and possibly improving the trajectory of the illness. This approach is supported by the fact that patients with schizophrenia experience dysfunction related to dopaminergic neurons and glutamate signaling.
Antipsychotic medications are commonly used to manage symptoms by blocking dopamine receptors; however, these medications can sometimes lead to side effects similar to symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Despite the effectiveness of antipsychotic medications, they do not cure schizophrenia and patients typically need to continue treatment indefinitely.