Schizophrenia

Mental Health
Nurs 320
Gary Ching
Chelsey Miyake
Riki Sakihara
Sandy Van

What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a fairly common, chronic, debilitating, and often devastating
mental disorder. It is not a single disorder but rather one of a group of related
disorders with a wide variety of severity and symptoms among individuals. It is also
a complex brain disease, therefore it is a neuropsychiatric disorder, because
symptoms occur from a number of factors that affect the brains neurotransmitter
system and that results in impaired thoughts, perceptions, cognitive functions,
moods, and motivations (Fortinash & Holoday Worret, 2012, pg 259).

Schizophrenia is a combination of
related disorders that affect the brain

Vivamus
et metus.

Cognitive symptoms affects about 40-60% of all

schizophrenics. These symptoms are caused by
the loss of brain ability in accessing and
processing memories.
Depressive symptoms include anxiety,
dysphoria, and irritability.
Positive symptoms (also known as florid
symptoms) are acute in onset and normally
appear early on in schizophrenics. Positive
symptoms normally diminish over time. Examples
of positive symptoms are:
Hallucinations
Delusions
Paranoia
Bizarre behavior
Confused or obsessive thoughts

Negative symptoms are more complex

than positive symptoms. They are present
in all phases of schizophrenia. Examples
of negative symptoms include:
Apathy
Withdrawal
Lack of motivation
Reduced emotional expression
Loss of warmth
Absent or reduced thoughts
Loss of pleasure in things previously
enjoyed

All symptoms were referenced from Fortinash,

K., & Holoday Worret, P. (2012) and the
National Alliance of Mental Illness (2013).

Etiology
There has been some evidence that that links
genetic factors to schizophrenia. There are
also hypotheses for the cause of
schizophrenia, they are:
Dopamine hypothesis
Neurodevelopmental hypothesis
Disease and trauma
Substance abuse
Cultural and environmental theories
Based from Fortinash, K., & Holoday Worret, P., 2012

DSM-IV-TR Criteria
As shown in Fortinash, K. & Holoday Worret, P.
(2012) pg. 270
A. Characteristic symptoms. (must have 2 or
more during a one month period) Delusions,
hallucinations, disorganized speech, grossly
disorganized behavior, negative symptoms.
B. Social/ occupational dysfunction. (must be

significant portion of time in one or more

major areas)
C. Duration. Continuous signs must persist for
6 months.
D. Schizoaffective and mood disorder
exclusion.

Treatments and drugs

Treatments focus on eliminating the symptoms of
the disease.
According to Mayo Clinic (2014), antipsychotic
medications are the most commonly prescribed
drugs to treat schizophrenia. The psychiatrist may
try different medications, different dosages or
combinations over time to achieve desired result.

Typical Conventional Antipsychotic

Drugs

Individual therapy/ Illness management skills

Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)

Vocational rehabilitation and supported

Haloperidol (Haldol)
Perphenazine (Etrafon, Trilafon)
Fluphenazine (Prolixin)

Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs

F. Relationship to a pervasive developmental

disorder

Clozapine (Clozaril)

exclusion.

Treatments can help patients with schizophrenia

who are already stabilized on antipsychotic
medications, deal with the everyday challenges of
the illness, such as difficulty with communication,
self-care, work, and forming and keeping
relationships.

These first generation medications have frequent

and potentially significant neurological side
effects, including the possibility of developing a
movement disorder (tardive dyskinesia) that may
not be reversible. This group of medication
includes:

These newer, second-generation medications are

generally preferred because they pose a lower risk
of serious side effects than do conventional
medications. They include:

E. Substance/general medical condition

Psychosocial Treatments

Risperidone (Risperdal)

Social skills training

Family therapy

employment
Cognitive behavioral therapy (helps patients with
symptoms that do not go away even with
medication)

Coping and Support

Self-help groups/ support groups
Relaxation and stress management
All treatments were referenced from the National Institute
of Mental Health (2013) and Mayo Clinic (2014).

Olanzapine (Zyprexa)
Aripiprazole (Abilify)
No one should stop taking the medications without
talking to his or her doctor. Only when the doctor says it
is okay to stop taking a medication, the medication
should be gradually tapered off and never stopped
suddenly or the patient may experience relapses.

Join a Support Group

Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder
Group
1st and 3rd Thursday of each month
6:00-7:30 PM
Waikiki Community Center
310 Paoakalani Ave. Bldg A, Room 203A, Honolulu
Call (808) 931-6444

Although the journal with this study shows significant

improvements to patients with schizophrenia, the journal also

explains more studies on larger scales need to be done to

determine the extent on the improvement of patients (Visceglia
& Lewis, 2011). The study is only one way we can make a
significant change on patients with schizophrenia.

Cost to Society

What we can do
for patients
year is spent on schizophrenia
diagnosed with
(Wu & Birnbaum, 2005). The
schizophrenia
In the US, nearly $63 billion a

Alternative
Treatments
National Institutes
of Mental

Magnitude

Making change
through
the MEDIA
Implications
of Care
There is a stereotype that is attached with the patient

According to the NIMH (2013),

Medical treatment for

diagnosed with schizophrenia. According to Whitley (2013), If

is not intended
1.1% of the worlds population
the media schizophrenia
consistently associates
people with a mental illness

with danger,
general
public
may
to the
cure
a person
from
thetreat them as dangerous
or 51 million people suffer from
of media
portrayal
the patient with
disorder,
but rather,
to greatly
schizophrenia. 2 million of (p.108). In much

Health
(2013) has said that only
them
in the
US. Of the
Alternative treatments have been known
to live
improve
symptoms
30%
is used in direct
treatment
nearly
600,000
homeless
of
schizophrenia.
According
to a study on
Yoga
treatment
for

schizophrenia is a danger to society that has no cure and no

reduce the symptoms and help

treatment. What the media fails to emphasize is that there are

a person
return to a functional
numerous levels
of schizophrenia
ranging from mild to severe.

schizophrenic
patients,70%
Yoga
to improve
patients
The mass media
has an
obligation
change these stereotypes.
while the remaining
is was foundpeople
level with
minimal
sideto
effects.
in the
US, 200,000 of
quality of life (Visceglia & Lewis, 2011). When comparing the

absorbed by lost time from

them are diagnosed with Stated by Whitley (2013), Thus it is hoped that newspapers and

patients treated with yoga to the control group, patients shown

journalists take an active role in championing the cause of

work and improvement
care givers, social
schizophrenia
significant
in symptoms (Visceglia
& Lewis,(Treatment
2011). In
people with a mental illness, and join the broad front that is
services,
andPANSS
the justice
system.
Advocacyhow
Center,
2010). trying to bring mental illness out of the shadows, forever (p.111).
the
study the
score was
used to determine
successful
yoga treatment was for specific patients
(Viscegliatreatable,
& Lewis, 2011).
changing the stereotypes of schizophrenic patients it would
Although
there isBystill
Patients were taught Yoga postures, breathing and relaxation
make it easier for the patient to seek treatment, it would also
no cure.
techniques (Visceglia & Lewis, 2011).
make it easier to treat patients by eliminating the stereotypes.
4

References
Fortinash, K., & Holoday Worret, P. (2012). Psychiatric mental health nursing, (5th ed.). St Louis:
Elsevier Mosby.
Mayo Clinic. (2014). Schizophrenia. Retrieved February 17, 2014, from
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/basics/copingsupport/con-20021077
National Alliance of Mental Illness. (2013.) What is schizophrenia. Retrieved from
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=schizophrenia9
National Institute of Mental Health. (2013). Schizophrenia. Retrieved February 17, 2014, from
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml?utm_source=publish2
&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=www.kpbs.org
Visceglia, E., & Lewis, S. (2011). Yoga Therapy as an Adjunctive Treatment for Schizophrenia: A
Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study. Journal Of Alternative & Complementary Medicine,
17(7), 601-607. doi:10.1089/acm.2010.0075
Whitley, R. "trends in newspaper coverage of mental illness in canada." Canadian Journal of
Psychiatry 58.2 (2013): 107-112. Ebsco Host. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.
"Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine,
n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16187769?dopt=Abstract>.
"Schizophrenia Facts and Statistics." Schizophrenia Facts and Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Mar.
2014. <http://www.schizophrenia.com/szfacts.htm
"Schizophrenia." NIMH RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2014.