Tardive Dyskinesia and Institutional Practice: Current Issues and Guidelines

Despite increasing public and legal pressures to minimize the occurrence of tardive dyskinesia, the practicing clinician often feels there are no alternatives to the use of neuroleptic medication in the treatment of psychosis. However, there are many clinical situations in which the use of neuroleptics may be avoided; guidelines for such situations, including the treatment of affective disorders and of chronic schizophrenia, are presented. The authors also discuss the use of alternative treatment programs and psychosocial interventions that may allow significant reduction in neuroleptics, and they describe new areas of research aimed at preventing and treating tardive dyskinesia.