Although schizophrenia is a chronic illness with exacerbations and remissions, there has been surprisingly little systematic study of early signs of relapse. The authors gave 145 chronic schizophrenic patients and 80 family members a structured interview regarding early signs of relapse and other information related to the relapse period. Most patients and family informants were aware of a prodromal period during which patients experienced such symptoms as having trouble sleeping, having trouble concentrating, loss of appetite, and feeling depressed. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for the treatment of chronic schizophrenic patients.