Bipolar and Schizophrenia Disorder - Study Material and Solved Assignments

Running head: BIPOLAR AND SCHIZOPHRENIA DISORDER
BIPOLAR AND SCHIZOPHRENIA DISORDER
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1BIPOLAR AND SCHIZOPHRENIA DISORDER
Mental disorders and its victims have always received very negative attitudes in the
society; so much so that, it has become a taboo in the modern day (Corrigan, Druss & Perlick,
2014). Nonetheless, the prevalence of several psychological disorder issues in normal lives,
make it even more relevant and important to discuss. This essay focuses on the two deadly
disorders—schizophrenia and bipolar, both of which are categorized under psychiatric
disorders. While schizophrenia is a chronic disorder rooted in psychotic symptoms, bipolar
disorder is identified with two major phases—mania and depressive.
Both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder root from similar causes (Weickert et al.,
2013). The epidemiology of Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder reveal a partial overlap
between the two. Schizophrenia can be found in every five out of thousand people whereas
Bipolar disorder hits around 2.6% of the US population. Schizophrenia is essentially the
malfunctioning of brain that leads to severe dysfunctionalities in daily lives. On the other
hand, bipolar disorder contains two major phases: manic and depressive phase. The chief
biological differences can be found in the amygdala, basal ganglia and prefrontal corrtex of
the brain.
Symptoms for both can be found in people irrespective of age, sex and geographical
location; though the symptoms and causes vary with every individual. Schizophrenia hits
men 1.4 times more than women, and also at an earlier age. However, there is a tendancy in
women to reveal symptoms of schizophrenia not until the post-menopausal phase. Studies
show that migrants fare a higher chance of getting hit by schizophrenia compared to natives.
Various kinds of psychoses affect each individual differently based on their sex, age, location
and several other socio-cultural and circumstancial aspects (Baxter et al., 2013). The
distribution of prevalent schizophrenia is an asymmetric view, unlike bipolar. Bipolar
disorder hits women three times more than it hits men. The impacts can be controlled with
the help of psycho-social therapies and anti-psychotic medicines. Improving relationship

2BIPOLAR AND SCHIZOPHRENIA DISORDER
dynamics amongst friends and families can play a vital role in improving psychological
health.
Pathophysiology of psychotic disorders share some similar traits. The complexity of
Schizophrenia lies in the dysregulation of its various pathological factors like dopamine,
serotonin and other neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate.
Schizophrenic brain structure and functioning may exhibit certain abnormalities, and might
have their roots in deficient pre-natal brain development. Genes are known to be one of the
most important factors relating to schizophrenia. The disorder is majorly hereditary and can
be passed along from one generation to another (Aberg et al., 2013). The clinical presentation
for symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorders are mentioned below:
 Bipolar:
1. Restlessness
2. Hyperactivity during manic phase (Karaahmet et al.,2013)
3. Death drives
4. Difficulty in concentration
 Schizophrenia:
1. Social isolation
2. Hypersensitivity
3. Abnormal reactions
4. Violent outbursts
As a provider, the physical examination to identify schizophrenic and bipolar traits
would include:
Schizophrenia: