The Mental Disease Schizophrenia - Essay Example

The Mental Disease Schizophrenia Abstract: The present research looks for exploring the reaction of the individuals on having knowledge about the mental disease schizophrenia and the personality disorder of the patients suffering from the same ailment. Hence, research will explore that whether or not the people having knowledge regarding the consequences of the disease afore-mentioned are conscious of the expected abnormal behaviour demonstrated by the Schizophrenia patients. The main objective behind conducting the research on the topic includes the increase in the number of patients undergoing schizophrenia, which display anger and aggression towards the others during the fits, which may create problems for them, their family, friends and other members of society at large. The researcher has applied questionnaire as the tool for data collection for the present study. The researcher has selected twenty-five persons as respondents for conducting the present research. After the research process, the data was organised in tabular and graphic format in order to analyse the data and interpretation of the results as well. At the end of the research, the hypotheses developed for the present research supported the supposition made by the researcher regarding the relation between knowledge of schizophrenia and people’s expectations from the Schizophrenia patients. Introduction: The term schizophrenia simply refers to the cluster of psychiatric disorder that adversely tells upon the mental health of the patient suffering from it by causing disturbances into his perception, thoughts, affect and behaviour (Bhugra, 2010:16). Though the individuals observing schizophrenia have their own unique experiences (So et al., 2012:130), yet there are some common characteristics of the patients undergoing schizophrenia share with one another, which include sudden fits of anger, irritating attitude, display of violence on finding an action or matter conducted against their will and others. In addition, the disorder may produce hallucinations, paranoia or bizarre delusions and disorganised thought or speech pattern. People with schizophrenia often have other mental disorders (Sim et al,. 2006). As a result, presence of the emotional dullness, impaired judgment, poor initiative, decreased concern for personal hygiene and social withdrawal are viewed to be prominent symptoms of schizophrenia disorder (Ziaddueen et al., 2010:1). Schizophrenia is the disorder pertinently associated with young women (Becker & Killian, 2006), though it is not confined to young people or women only; on the contrary, people belonging to different age groups and both the genders could become the victim of schizophrenia. Causes and Misconceptions regarding Schizophrenia: The researchers suggest various causes that create the disorder under-investigation; these include genetic, environmental, social and financial ones in nature (Hadlich, 2010:3). Hence, the disorder it not only hereditary one in nature, but also could appear in the wake of some emotional collapse, financial loss, sentimental problem or other (Becker & Killian, 2006:12). There was a time when the people’s having prior knowledge about the disorder under consideration; as a result, they regarded immediate change in a person’s mood as the outcome of some supernatural power that inflicts pains and agonies on the victim for violating their rules and regulations or demonstrating non-compliance to their commands(Peters et al., 2004:1006).. It is therefore, the behaviour witnessed by the schizophrenic patients looked quite strange and weird one by the people (Broome et al., 2005:26), which used to be taken as the result of black magic or any other misfortune from metaphysical powers (Peters et al., 2004:1005-006). Somehow, progress made in the field of psychology has paved the way towards the diagnoses, causes, affects, consequences and treatment of schizophrenia that declare it to be an entirely a psychiatric disorder, which could affect any individual due to some particular causes behind the same. Consequently, APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual views superstitions associated with schizophrenia as a false belief based on incorrect inference about external reality that is firmly sustained despite what almost everyone else believes and despite what constitutes incontrovertible and obvious proof or evidence to the contrary (2000:765). Research Question: Does a person’s knowledge of Schizophrenia relate to the belief that people with Schizophrenia are unpredictable and dangerous? Objectives: To explore the knowledge of the people regarding schizophrenia To identify the reaction of the people about schizophrenic patients. To estimate the individuals’ views with regards to the nature and intensity of schizophrenia and its treatment as well Hence, the present study will examine the people’s awareness of schizophrenia, and the views they maintain about the disorder. Methods: Hypotheses: The better the knowledge of the individuals regarding the schizophrenia, the better the attitude they can adopt while entering into interaction with the schizophrenic patients The least the exposure of the individuals about schizophrenia as a psychiatric disorder, the higher the tendencies of developing superstitions regarding the disorder Universe: The universe simply stands for the area selected by the researcher for conducting his/her research on the topic selected for the same. The universe for the present study is comprised of the adults belonging to the age group from 17 to 55 years from both genders. Since the researcher belongs to Sydney city, and her research project is also being conducted in the same area, the respondents were also taken from the same city for conducting the present study. Sampling: Sampling serves as the selection of respondents from the universe selected for the study to be carried out. Here the researcher has selected a small sample that consists of twenty-five respondents chosen for the research process. Research Instrument and its Construction: The researcher collected the data developing a questionnaire as the instrument for the present study. The researcher personally visited the commercial areas, educational institutions, public places and residences in order to approach to various social strata of society in order to collect the data for the present research. The questionnaire was constructed in English languages, with the inclusion of some local terms for the better understanding of respondents. The questionnaire was consisted of three sections and twenty-nine questions in all. Section A was introductory one in nature, which focused on getting basic information from the respondents, and contained just two questions. Section B had been developed with the purpose of exploring the information and knowledge of the respondents, with regards to schizophrenia, which contained twenty-one questions. The last section was developed to explore the understanding of the respondents about the disorder with the help of statements; it carried six questions. Research Findings The research findings related to the present study have been discussed as following: Table 1 Distribution of the Respondents on the Age Basis Age in Years Frequency Percentage 18-26 4 16.00 27-35 8 32.00 36-45 7 28.00 46-55 6 24.00 Total 25 100.00 Table 1 demonstrates that three fourth of the respondents belonged to age-group from 27 to 45 years, while nearly one fourth of them consisted of the age group between 46 and 55, which has been demonstrated in the following figure. Figure 1 Distribution of the Respondents on the Age Basis Table 2 The Cause of Schizophrenia according to the Respondents Cause Frequency Percentage Brain problem 12 53.00 Drug use 3 12.00 Evil spirits 1 4.00 Pollution 2 8.00 Stress 7 24.00 Total 25 100 The table above reveals that over half of the respondents rightly viewed schizophrenia as a brain problem, followed by nearly one fourth of them, which declared the disorder as an outcome of stress and strain people experience from society. Figure 2 The Cause of Schizophrenia according to the Respondents Figure 2 demonstrates that one fifth of the respondents viewed the disorder under-analysis as the consequence of drug use and/or pollution of various kinds. Further findings reflect that the majority of the respondents viewed schizophrenia to be a long term disease, which could not be cured completely through short-term treatment. Similarly, the respondents provided mixed replies to the use of medicine and therapies etc for the convalescence of schizophrenia. In addition, the respondents regarded books and websites as the most effective and sources of obtaining information about the psychiatric disorder under-investigation. SUMMARY/DISCUSSION The present research had been conducted by paying concentration upon the psychiatric disorder i.e. schizophrenia by focusing on the information and knowledge of general public about the disease afore-mentioned. The disorder has been defined as the problem that emotional insipidness, impaired judgment, weak initiative, decreased concern and over anxiety may lead to schizophrenia (Rössler et al., 2007:2). The studies define various reasons behind the disorder; a research conducted on the twins has found a high level of heritability, and suggested that gene factors are the main cause of the disease (O'Donovan et al. 2003). Similarly, environmental factors also play their part in making the individuals the prey to the disorder under analysis. The researcher has selected 25 respondents from the age-group between 18 and 55 years in order to extract the level of their information about schizophrenia. It was a pleasant experience to ask questions directly to the respondents about their knowledge and exposure regarding the disorder. The respondents viewed making consultations with the psychiatrist and therapists as the most effective way for combating with schizophrenia, though some of them also recommended the medicine consumption as a remedy for the disorder. The findings endorsed the research hypotheses developed for the study, and hence satisfied the queries had been made through the research question. References Becker, T., & Kilian, R. (2006). Psychiatric services for people with severe mental illness across western Europe: what can be generalized from current knowledge about differences in provision, costs and outcomes of mental health care?. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Supplement. 113(429) pp. 9–16. Bhugra, D. (2010) Schizophrenia: The Nice Guideline on Core Interventions in the Treatment and Management of Schizophrenia in Adults in Primary and Secondary Care– Updated Edition The British Psychological Society and The Royal College of Psychiatrists p.16 Retrieved from http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG82FullGuideline.pdf Broome, M.R., Woolley, J.B., Tabraham, P., Johns, L.C., Bramon, E., Murray, G.K., Pariante, C., McGuire, P.K., Murray, R.M. (2005). What causes the onset of psychosis? Schizophr. Res. 79, pp. 23–34 Hadlich, Simon J., Kirov, Aleksandar., & Lampinen, Toni. (2010). What Causes Schizophrenia? Big Questions in Science Cor Zonneveld, November 15, pp. 1-16 Retrieved from http://www.simoncolumbus.com/wp-content/2011/04/BQSCI-CZonneveld-Essay-What-Causes-Schizophrenia-SJHadlich-AKirov-TLampinen.pdf O’Donovan M.C., Williams, N.M., Owen, M.J. (2003). Recent advances in the genetics of schizophrenia. Hum Mol Genet 12(2): 125-33 Peters, Emenuelle., Joseph, Stephens., Day., Samantha., & Garety, Philippa. (2004). Measuring Delusional Ideation: The 21-Item Peters et aL Delusions Inventory (PDI) Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry Schizophrenia Bulletin, Vol. 30, No. 4, De Crespigny Park, London, UK. Retrieved from http://schizophreniabulletin.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/4/1005.full.pdf Rössler, Wulf., Riecher-Rössler, Anita., Angst, Jules., Murray, Robin., Gamma, Alex., Eich, Dominque., Os, Jim van., & Gross, Vladeta Ajdacic. (2007). Psychotic experiences in the general population: A twenty-year prospective community study Schizophrenia Research 92 Elsevier Science Direct p. 2 Retrieved from http://www.brown.uk.com/schizophrenia/rossler.pdf Sim, K., Chua, T.H., Chan, Y.H., Mahendran, R., Chong, S.A. (2006). Psychiatric comorbidity in first episode schizophrenia: a 2 year, longitudinal outcome study. J Psychiatric Res 40(7): pp. 656–63 So, Suzanne H., Freeman, Daniel., Dunn, Graham., Kapur, Shitij., Kuipers, Elizabeth., Bebbington, Paul., Fowler, David., & Garety, Philippa A. (2011). Jumping to Conclusions, a Lack of Belief Flexibility and Delusional Conviction in Psychosis: A Longitudinal Investigation of the Structure, Frequency, and Relatedness of Reasoning Biases, September 12. J Abnorm Psychol. 2012 February; 121(1) pp. 129–139. Ziauddin, H., Dibben, C.. Kipps, C., Hodges, J.R., McKenna, P.J. (2010). Negative schizophrenic symptoms and the frontal lobe syndrome: one and the same? Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci Springer-Verlag. Retrieved from http://www.ftdrg.org/wp-content/uploads/S.26-Ziauddeen-APCN-.pdf American Psychological Association (2000) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder American Psychiatric Pub Fourth Edition 2000 p. 765 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3283358/ Read More