Schizophrenia: Symptoms, History, Mental State Examination, and Interventions

Running head: SCHIZOPHRENIA 1
Schizophrenia
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

SCHIZOPHRENIA 2
Introduction
The video is about an interaction between Andy who is a 21-year-old university student
and a female psychiatrist. The family doctor referred the patient to the specialist for counseling.
Judging from the conversation, Andy has Schizophrenia which is a mental disorder. The disease
occurs mostly at the onset of adulthood or at the end of the adolescent stage. Therefore, Andy’s
age is a risk factor for the complication. The major symptoms of schizophrenia include
hallucinations, delusions, and depression (Duhig et al., 2015). The patient admits that he hears
the voices of his roommates which are a hallucinating effect of the complication. Andy also feels
that his friends have inserted a chip to monitor his activities which is untrue. This report will
assess the client's psychiatric, family history and social environment. The paper will also conduct
a mental state examination on the patient. Finally, the write-up will discuss evidence-based
interventions for the patient's schizophrenia.
Part A: History
The family doctor referred Andy to the psychiatrist; since the patient feels that the GP
does not understand his condition. The GP feels that the patient is fine as he lacks physical
symptoms. Therefore, the patient has a mental disorder that the psychiatrist can assist to solve
the problem. The patient lacks a history of schizophrenia or any other mental manifestations.
Schizophrenia has a tendency of developing slowly; hence the affected individual can be
unaware of the presenting problem. However, the disease is common between the ages of sixteen
and thirty years (Millan et al., 2016). Therefore, the patient's age makes him vulnerable to
infection.
The patient lacks a medical history of the disease. Additionally, none of his family
members have suffered from the complication in the past. However, a family history of

SCHIZOPHRENIA 3
schizophrenia increases the chances of infection. The patient is still a student and still lacks
occupational history. However, the development of schizophrenia can occur regardless of
medical and family history. The imbalances in the concentration of neurotransmitters and
dopamine lead to the development of the complication (Kesby, Eyles, McGrath, & Scott, 2018).
Viral infections before the birth of an individual lead to the occurrence of the condition.
Additionally, stressful experiences in the school environment can cause the disease.
There is a lack of sufficient forensic evidence to link the patient with the disease. However, the
client admits that he has a history of consuming alcohol and taking drugs. Andy says that he
drinks alcohol but not in large quantities. He also admits to being taking bhang "weed". Drugs
and alcohol lead to the relapse of schizophrenia (Ouellet-Plamondon, Abdel-Baki, Salvat, &
Potvin, 2017). When asked about his current treatment, Andy says that he does not use
medications. However, he has plans of getting pills to solve his problems. The patient feels that
he is fit and does not require medications. Andy says that his only problem is the chip that his
roommates inserted on his head to monitor his movements.
The patient lacks sufficient functioning and support; since his parents are far away from
him. Furthermore, he does not want to go back home. The patient is single and lacks parental
status. Therefore, he has no responsibilities as he is still a university student. Andy lacks any
details of dependants at the moment. He depends on his parents for financial support when he is
in school. The lack of proper support can escalate the symptoms of schizophrenia (McNamara,
Same, Rosenwax, & Kelly, 2018). Additionally, stressful jobs can make an individual to develop
the complication.
Part B: Mental State Examination
Appearance, Behavior, and Affect