Mental Illness: Schizophrenia Report, Clinical Manifestations

This report provides a comprehensive overview of schizophrenia, a psychiatric disorder characterized by chronic or recurring psychosis, and social and professional functioning impairments. The report details clinical manifestations, including symptoms like delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking, and discusses the psychopathology of schizophrenia, including genetic, environmental, and neurodevelopmental factors. It explores psychopharmacology, focusing on antipsychotic drugs, their mechanisms, and patient education regarding medication side effects and management. Additionally, the report covers other treatment options such as ECT, individual psychotherapy, and recovery planning strategies like I'M TUFR and WRAP, emphasizing the importance of patient involvement and support systems in managing the illness.

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Schizophrenia
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8/31/2019

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Table of Contents
Schizophrenia..............................................................................................................................................2
Psychopathology.....................................................................................................................................2
Psychopharmacology...............................................................................................................................3
Patient education.....................................................................................................................................5
Other treatment........................................................................................................................................6
Recovery planning...................................................................................................................................7
References...................................................................................................................................................9

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Schizophrenia
Clinical manifestations; Schizophrenia is described as the psychiatric disorder including
chronic or recurring psychosis. It is usually related to social and professional functioning
impairments. People with this health issue generally experience different type of symptoms such
as delusion, hallucination, disorganized thinking, abnormal motor behaviour, lack of ability to
work normally etc. the teenagers who are affected with schizophrenia commonly show the
symptoms like withdrawal from their friends and family, a drop in the performance at school,
sleeping problems, irritability or depressed mood, lack of motivation etc. when compared to the
Adults, teenagers are less likely to have delusion but more likely to have issues of visual
hallucination (Sekar et al., 2016).
Psychopathology
Psychopathology of schizophrenia is heterogeneous and multidimensional. There are
different factor contributes to the development of schizophrenia such as genetic predisposition,
environmental, social, and psychological factors. All the factors cause neurodevelopmental
abnormalities and target features. This further causes brain dysfunction, an improper balance of
the chemicals in the in body, which will ultimately cause schizophrenia. Different genetic
readings, both the twin and adoptive theories, have recognized a genetic basis for this disorder
(Stanghellini et al., 2015). The less-than-comprehensive concordance of this disorder in the
identical twins similarly recommends that other non-genetic aspects should influence the
appearance of schizophrenia. Numerous co-twins of this disorders probands display weakened
schizophrenia-like characters, though there is substantial unevenness in their expression. In
overall, family and twin investigations recommend that the deficit-like indications of schizotypal

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personality illnesses or other schizophrenia-associated disorders might be most characteristic of
the schizotypal persons with a hereditary association to someone with schizophrenia. Patients
with schizophrenia share different psychophysiological deformities found in the chronic
schizophrenia delivers psychopathological relates or intermediate the phenotypes for this health
issue for example: A P50 suppression failure or the ability to “gate” or suitably moderate or
inhibit the sensory input that might leads to sensory burden and cognitive disorganization,
Insufficiencies in prepulse reticence, the capacity to constrain the startle reaction with a feeble
prestimulus, which might damage suitable modulation of environmental responsiveness
(Northoff & Duncan, 2016). Damage of smooth-pursuit eye activities, which permit the fovea to
uphold its emphasis on an easy moving target, replicating instinctive attention, Errors in the
antisaccade activities, which examine saccadic reticence, deprived performance on the backward
masking activity that measures early pictorial processing. Other factor includes deprived P300-
evoked capacities, which examines auditory attention, performance on the Unceasing
Performance Examination, and a continued attention task. Individuals with schizophrenia not
only show qualitative and quantitative damage in smooth-pursuit tracking but also perform less
precisely in antisaccade and emotion recognition tasks (Margariti et al., 2015).
Psychopharmacology
It is the scientific study of the impacts medicine have on the mood, sensation, thinking
and habits. It is different from the neuro-psychopharmacology, which focuses on the relation
between drug-induced alteration in the cell functioning. Antipsychotic drugs are the widespread
method of treating psychological diseases like schizophrenia. These drugs ease symptoms like
delusion and hallucinations. They work in the chemicals in the patient's brain like dopamine and
serotonin. The patients will more likely to take these drugs for their entire life, even if the

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symptoms are getting better. The antipsychotic drugs can be provided in liquid, tablets, or
injection forms (Steeds, Carhart-Harris & Stone, 2015).
The most contemporary medications normally recommended for schizophrenia comprise
a class of drugs called “atypical antipsychotics.” Atypical means they work in a way that is
considerably dissimilar than the earlier class of antipsychotic drugs. “Antipsychotic” denotes to
the point that these drugs were originally supposed only to treat individuals with psychosis issue
(a mutual sign of schizophrenia). Individuals with schizophrenia who are prescribed with this
medication will normally feel that their hallucinations or delusions issue is considerably reduced
and, in some scenarios, disappear completely. Since their early growth, further investigation has
established that the atypical antipsychotics also have the properties mood stabilizing. Due to this,
this type of medications is usually recommended for people with schizophrenia. Patients who
take the atypical antipsychotic drugs can feel the impacts on their mood swings that will
normally become less recurrent and less penetrating (Samara et al., 2016).
Antipsychotic drugs can help the patient to reduce some symptoms, for example hearing
voices, difficulty in thinking clearly, and thoughtfully, severe depression that is difficult to
manage, and mood swings of bipolar disorder. A different individual with this disorder does not
appear to express their feeling, demotivated and lack of interest in social activities. Some of the
drugs a doctor might prescribe for the patient include Abilify, Risperdal, Zyprexa, Seroquel,
Clozaril, symbyaz, Geodon, chlorpromazine, Prolixin, Navane, Stelazine, Haldol, saphris,
cariprazine, mellari, trilafon, fanapt, zyprexia, etc. Common adverse effects of these drugs
comprise unnecessary weight gain and tiredness. Weight gain due to this drug can be
a substantial issue; a majority of individual taking an atypical type of antipsychotic can more
likely to expect weight gain. As weight gain is likewise related to an augmented risk for diabetes

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Type II, persons prescribed with the atypical type of antipsychotic must be carefully observed by
their doctor and nurses. Workout and a nutritious, balanced diet are moreover important (Lally &
MacCabe, 2015).
Patient education
Patient education is necessary when it comes to treating schizophrenia symptoms by
using antipsychotic drugs. As discussed earlier these drugs come with some adverse effects that
must be discussed with the patient. The patient and their family members should be educated
about contacting the physician or emergency services if seen any life-threatening adverse effects
(Correll et al., 2016). People who take antipsychotic drugs sometimes develop suicidal thoughts.
Therefore nurse or physician must inform the patient, and educate their family member to keep
their eyes on the patient. Atypical antipsychotic drugs may cause weight gain; therefore they
must follow the diet recommended by the physician and monitor their weight regularly. Taking
care of the patient's physical health is particularly essential if he or she take antipsychotic
medicine. Equally schizophrenia and the medicines used to manage it can upsurge the threat of
diabetes and other severe health issues. Getting consistent checkups and medicinal care can assist
the patient to have positive bodily health. Eating a healthy diet, working out frequently and
getting sufficient sleep can similarly help them to become healthy again. Anti-psychotic drugs
should not be given with some specific drugs prescribed by the clinician or dentist or bought at a
medicine store, and with some herbal medicines or street tablets. The patient must be educated to
discuss all drugs they are taking with the doctor. Using sugar-free candy or chewing gum,
drinking water, and clearing the teeth frequently to upsurge salivation and comfort dry mouth
getting up gradually from the sitting or lying position to avoid or prevent faintness. Smoking
cigarettes can upsurge how rapidly certain antipsychotics are metabolized by the patient's body,

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meaning that individuals who smoke cigarettes heavily might require additional medicine
compare to those who do not smoke. Consuming coffee has an opposing effect, decelerating
down the metabolism of antipsychotic in the body (Goff et al., 2017).
Other treatment
ECT is recognized as one of the firmest and most operative ways to release symptoms in
rigorously depressed or suicidal individuals or those who experience obsession or other
psychological illnesses. In schizophrenia, this technique is often exceptionally effective to address
the syndrome named catatonia, an illness that might happen together with schizophrenia, certain
forms of the depression, and other types of disorders in which an individual’s body turn into rigid
and unable to move. Clinicians might also apply ECT to comfort other signs of schizophrenia, for
example, delusions, hallucinations, or disordered thinking. ECT is conventionally used more
frequently to address depression, than schizophrenia related issues. It is supposed to be additional
effective for addressing psychosis issues when mood signs also exist. The efficiency of ECT has
consequently not been as comprehensively studied for the management of schizophrenia as for the
mood ailments (Sanghani, Petrides & Kellner, 2018).
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the process in which electrodes are bind to the individual's
scalp and, although asleep by general anesthesia, a minor electric shock is carried to the patient’s brain.
A progression of ECT management usually includes 2 to 3 treatments every week for a few weeks.
Every shock usage causes an organized seizure and a sequence of conducts over time results in an
enhancement in mood and thoughtfulness. Researchers do not completely understand accurately how
this method and the organized seizures it sources have a healing effect, though some investigator thinks
that seizures induced by ECT might affect the discharge of neurotransmitters located in the brain. This
technique is less well recognized for handling schizophrenia than depression. ECT is occasionally

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useful when medicines fail or if serious depression or catatonia sorts handling the illness problematic
(Tor et al., 2017).
Individual psychotherapy
Individual psychotherapy for the patients with schizophrenia includes frequently scheduled
discussions between the affected person and a mental health expert such as a counsellor,
psychoanalyst, psychologist, psychiatric social worker, or registered nurse. The meetings (most
operational if held consistently) might concentrate on the present or past difficulties, experiences,
feelings, moods, or relations. By sharing life experiences with the skilled empathic individual
speaking about their actual world with somebody outside it, persons with schizophrenia might
progressively come to comprehend more about their health problems themselves. They can likewise
study to deal with the existent from the illusory and inaccurate world that their illness fosters
(Hamm & Firmin, 2016).
Recovery planning
Planning of recovery in schizophrenia is a difficult task which can be achieved with the
complete support of the patient, family, and health care providers. The planning includes involving
the patient in the treatment and self-help, getting active both mentally and physically, seeking face
to face support from other people, learn to manage the stress, self-care, and understandings the role
of medicines (Slade & Wallace, 2017).
One of the examples of the recovery strategy is I'M TUFR, which was initiated by the man
who had severe episodes of psychosis. This strategy describes 5 important components that are I
need, minimum medication, talking therapies, useful and fried support, rest and relaxation (Vita &
Barlati, 2018). Another therapy which is also used to manage schizophrenia is WRAP, which was

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developed in the United States it the well-organized system for managing the condition throughout
the periods that the patient is unwell and coping with the periods using the responses that the patient
has planned in earlier when they are much better. This therapy includes 5 different sections.
Section first is an everyday maintenance strategy which searches for the things that patient need
to perform in their everyday life to help them stay healthy. Second Section is about
distinguishing the factors that might cause the patient to become unhealthy (Fox & Horan, 2016).
The third part of this therapy is to search for initial cautionary signs of the beginning of a phase
of ill health. Fourth Part of this strategy is to recognize when things are getting worse. At this
stage, it is essential to trigger the individual plan which can almost positively involve receiving
professional support from the health care employees for example GP, psychiatrist or Public
Psychiatric Nurse. Fifth and last WRAP section is crisis design. This includes patient giving
more instruction to those around them about what they like when they are healthy and then set
off to define the alterations that will happen as the patient become unhealthy. Then define the
activities that functioned well for the patient when they were last unhealthy for example the
kinds of medicine that were appositively effective and what types of treatments they found
supportive (Spaulding & Sullivan, 2016).
Including the patient in the decision making the process about his or her treatment is the
main focus of every therapy or medicinal treatment course ad they have the right of it. In case the
patient cannot decide for themselves, their family members will also be included in the decision-
making process (Hamm & Firmin, 2016).

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References
Correll, C. U., Citrome, L., Haddad, P. M., Lauriello, J., Olfson, M., Calloway, S. M., & Kane, J.
M. (2016). The use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics in schizophrenia: evaluating
the evidence. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 77(suppl 3), 1-24.
Fox, J., & Horan, L. (2016). Individual perspectives on the Wellness Recovery Action Plan
(WRAP) as an intervention in mental health care. International Journal of Psychosocial
Rehabilitation.
Goff, D. C., Falkai, P., Fleischhacker, W. W., Girgis, R. R., Kahn, R. M., Uchida, H., &
Lieberman, J. A. (2017). The long-term effects of antipsychotic medication on clinical
course in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 174(9), 840-849.
Gough, A., & Morrison, J. (2016). Managing the comorbidity of schizophrenia and
ADHD. Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience: JPN, 41(5), E79.
Hamm, J. A., & Firmin, R. L. (2016). Disorganization and individual psychotherapy for
schizophrenia: a case report of metacognitive reflection and insight therapy. Journal of
Contemporary Psychotherapy, 46(4), 227-234.
Lally, J., & MacCabe, J. H. (2015). Antipsychotic medication in schizophrenia: a review. British
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Margariti, M., Ploumpidis, D., Economou, M., Christodoulou, G. N., & Papadimitriou, G. N.
(2015). Quality of life in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: associations with insight and
psychopathology. Psychiatry research, 225(3), 695-701.

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Northoff, G., & Duncan, N. W. (2016). How do abnormalities in the brain’s spontaneous activity
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Sanghani, S. N., Petrides, G., & Kellner, C. H. (2018). Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in
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Steeds, H., Carhart-Harris, R. L., & Stone, J. M. (2015). Drug models of
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