Schizophrenia A thought Disorder A thought Disorder

Schizophrenia It is a disease that affects 1% of the world’s population It is a disease that affects 1% of the world’s population It has more impact on urban people than rural people It has more impact on urban people than rural people It is a disease that affects men and women equally It is a disease that affects men and women equally It is a disease of the brain It is a disease of the brain

Schizophrenia is not caused by: Inadequate parenting Inadequate parenting Overzealous mothers Overzealous mothers Poor family relations Poor family relations It is not split personality It is not split personality

Schizophrenia and Genetics 70% of persons who develop schizophrenia have a genetic basis for it. Usually, there is a relative who has the disease. 70% of persons who develop schizophrenia have a genetic basis for it. Usually, there is a relative who has the disease. The closer in relation to the ill person, the more likely one is to get the disease. The closer in relation to the ill person, the more likely one is to get the disease.

Schizophrenia and Genetics If you have an identical twin who has schizophrenia, you have a 50% chance of developing schizophrenia. If you have an identical twin who has schizophrenia, you have a 50% chance of developing schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia: Three Types Paranoid type Paranoid type Catatonic type Catatonic type Disorganized type Disorganized type

Paranoid Schizophrenia: the affected person may: Talk to himself Talk to himself Gesture to himself Gesture to himself Become preoccupied with idea that he/she is being followed or watched Become preoccupied with idea that he/she is being followed or watched Hear voices (possibly from “the devil” or “God”) Hear voices (possibly from “the devil” or “God”) Develop elaborate delusions and believe outrageous things (such as aliens from another planet have invaded his/her body). Develop elaborate delusions and believe outrageous things (such as aliens from another planet have invaded his/her body).

Paranoid Schizophrenia: the affected person may: See things like dark figures, bugs or spots See things like dark figures, bugs or spots Feel people are out to get them Feel people are out to get them Believe in all sorts of conspiracies Believe in all sorts of conspiracies Have ideas that no amount of evidence to the contrary can dislodge Have ideas that no amount of evidence to the contrary can dislodge

Catatonic Schizophrenia: the affected person may: Seem almost frozen and unable to move at times Seem almost frozen and unable to move at times Stop talking or greatly reduce conversation Stop talking or greatly reduce conversation Appear lazy, unmotivated and uninterested “out of it” Appear lazy, unmotivated and uninterested “out of it” Become completely detached from reality and have no sense of anything going on around them. Become completely detached from reality and have no sense of anything going on around them.

Disorganized Schizophrenia: the affected person may: Talk in jumbled sentences Talk in jumbled sentences Be essentially incoherent in their speech Be essentially incoherent in their speech Suffer from an inability to keep track of his/her thought processes and will jump from subject to subject Suffer from an inability to keep track of his/her thought processes and will jump from subject to subject Become detached from what is happening around them Become detached from what is happening around them

Schizophrenia is often described in terms of positive (not meaning good) and negative (not meaning bad) symptoms Positive symptoms include delusions and hallucinations Positive symptoms include delusions and hallucinationsdelusions hallucinationsdelusions hallucinations Negative symptoms are the loss or absence of normal traits or abilities, and include flat affect and emotion, and lack of motivation. Negative symptoms are the loss or absence of normal traits or abilities, and include flat affect and emotion, and lack of motivation.affectemotionmotivationaffectemotionmotivation A third symptom grouping, the disorganization syndrome, includes chaotic speech, thought, and behavior. A third symptom grouping, the disorganization syndrome, includes chaotic speech, thought, and behavior.

Schizophrenia treatment Biological Biological Psychological Psychological Social Social

Schizophrenia Treatment: Biological Medications Medications –called antipsychotic –(not “antischizophrenic”) – they deal with some of the symptoms delusions, hallucinations, disorganized behavior delusions, hallucinations, disorganized behavior These drugs work by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain. These drugs work by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain.

Schizophrenia Treatment: Psychological Patients will need therapy Patients will need therapy – supportive – “digging deep” can help some, but that is the exception, not the rule

Schizophrenia Treatment: Psychological Those who have family benefit most from families who: Those who have family benefit most from families who: – are informed about the illness – have support – Have skills to deal with the ill family member

Schizophrenia Treatment: Psychological Family member skills: Family member skills: – low key – low demand – use simple sentences – able to ignore the inconsequential features of the illness – are able to respond to dangerous behavior – can accept that their ill family member may never be like he once was

Schizophrenia Treatment: Social Rehabilitation Rehabilitation Social skills training Social skills training Vocational assistance Vocational assistance Environmental modification Environmental modification – reduce stimuli