Schizophrenia is a poorly understood syndrome characterised by positive symptoms (hallucinations and delusions), negative symptoms (inability to become involved in and enjoy activities and relationships) and cognitive disorganisation.Largely because of the difficulty the schizophrenic patient has in gaining and maintaining employment, this syndrome is very costly for society. New antipsychotic agents, which are more effective and better tolerated than older drugs, and programmes designed to treat schizophrenic patients in the community rather than in the hospital both offer a great deal of promise. Lengthy, expensive hospitalisations are now quite rare. In that respect, the direct costs of schizophrenia may have lessened somewhat. However, none of the various pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments available have yet convincingly increased the ability of the schizophrenic patient to work.