Schizophrenia: Mental Syndrome | Report

RUNNING HEAD: HEALTHCARE 0
Schizophrenia February 29
2020

HEALTHCARE 1
Introduction
Schizophrenia is a mental syndrome that disturbs a person's thinking, feeling, and
behaviour. People suffering from schizophrenia appear like they have lost touch with reality
(Lysaker, 2010). The symptoms of schizophrenia are hallucinations, delusions, and
dysfunctional thinking. Schizophrenia sometimes runs in families. Schizophrenia can happen due
to viruses, malnutrition before birth, difficulties during birth, and psychosocial issues (Pynn,
2013). This report will discuss the assessment, treatment and nurse interventions required to
support recovery. This report will later elaborate on how to behave or take care of a patient who
is suffering from schizophrenia.
Assessment
Experts have determined that signs do not appear because of substance abuse or
medications. Assessment of schizophrenia includes bodily examination, tests and screenings, and
psychiatric evaluation (De Hert, Vancampfort, Correll, & C. U., Merc, 2011).
Bodily exam or tests
This identifies the extra problems in the body and brain that could be causing symptoms
of schizophrenia. This exam determines mental health-related problems. These may contain tests
that will help in determining the consumption of alcohol and drugs. The doctor may also test
ones’ imagining by requesting an individual to imagine situations. Doctors may also recommend
an MRI and CT scan.
Psychiatric assessment
Mental health professionals check the mental ability by observing his or her
appearance and by asking about their thoughts on mood swings, hallucinations, substance
dependency and delusions (Kilgus, Maxmen, & Ward, 2015). Doctors also judge if the
person is thinking of potential violence, harming oneself, or rapidly thinking of suicide. This
also includes the debate of past life such as family and personal history. Past life incidents
such as major family fights or trauma related to childhood. Another assessment method is
SCAN. It involves the instruments that measure, evaluates and classifies behaviour and
psychopathology associated with major psychiatric disorders in grown-up life. There is also

HEALTHCARE 2
a statistical analysis, the independent-measures test was used to evaluate the effect of gender
on baseline features such as age, length of treatment, and percentage treated with clozapine.
Treatment
Schizophrenia requires lifelong treatment. Even if there are no more serious symptoms
such as hallucinations or delusions after discharge from the hospital it is still required to take
medication (Javitt, 2014). Medication treatment can help manage this mental disorder.
Medication treatment can also include psychosocial therapy if the symptoms are severe. In some
severe cases, hospitalization is also recommended by doctors. The most common medication is
an antipsychotic medication that is commonly prescribed drug (Alexander, Gallagher, &
Mascola, 2011). This drug controls symptoms by distressing the brain dopamine system.
Schizophrenia takes time in showing improvements in symptoms.
Psychosocial interventions
In continuation of medication treatment, it is essential to include psychological and
psychosocial interventions. These interventions include individual therapy, social skills training,
vocational rehabilitation, and family involvement therapy.
Individual therapy
This therapy may help in normalizing the thought patterns of the patient. This therapy
will also help the patient to deal with stress and identify warning signals.
Social skills training
This method focuses on improving communication. It promotes social interaction to
improve the confidence of the patients. This will provide the ability and confidence to the
patients to participate in daily activities and social interaction.
Vocational rehabilitation
This focuses on serving schizophrenia patients to survive in real-life activities such as
finding a job and dealing with job stresses.
Family involvement therapy
Family involvement therapy is a kind of psychological counselling that can help family
members to improve communication with the family member suffering from schizophrenia. This