Classifying, Explaining and Treating Mental Illness - Essay Example

ifying, Explaining and Treating Mental Illness Lecturer ifying, Explaining and Treating Mental Illness 0 ification of mental illness The guidelines for classifying and describing groups of mental disorders have been discovered. This is to allow one to demonstrate options instead of using hypothesized assumptions for short-lived and severe psychotic disorders. Schizospheriform, for instance, cannot be used in classifying disorders (Fink & Taylor, 2006). The reason behind this is that the term has constantly been made use of in various unique clinical concepts. The term has also been linked to several mixtures of features. These include sensitive onset, typical symptoms, relatively brief duration or a mixture of these symptoms (Fink & Taylor, 2006). Instead, the term schizophrenia has been used in the classification. This is due to its continued use in most countries as well as the existing uncertainty concerning its nature and relationship to schizotypal and schizoid disorders. 2.0 Explanation of schizophrenia Mental disorders and illnesses have for decades been identified to cause significant work and social problems (Mueser&Jeste, 2008). Schizophrenia is one of the many mental disorders. It is categorized by a collapse in thinking as well as poor emotional responses. The major symptoms for this disorder include delusions, like paranoia, which entails hearing noises or voices that in essence do not exist. Other symptoms are; lack of emotion, impaired thinking and absence of motivation (Mueser&Jeste, 2008).It is featured by problems resulting from thought processes and through emotional responses. German physician, Emile Kraepelin identified the disease in 1887 as a disguised and distinct mental illness. He named the disease ‘dementia praecox’ to isolate it from other types of dementia. In 1911, EugenBleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist renamed the disease as schizophrenia since Kraepellin’s one was misleading; it was not actually dementia (Mueser &Jeste, 2008). The disease has thus lived with humankind for over a century. It is evident that extensive and strong clinical traditions occur. These traditions favor the retention of schizophrenia among other delusional disorders. It is applicable to this discussion. The discussion provides a set of change to the diagnosis of a schizoaffective category. At least one classically schizophrenic symptom need to be present with the affective signs during the same episode of the disorder (Beck, 2004). Apparently, psychiatrists will remain disagreeing about the classification of mood disorders till methods of isolating the clinical syndromes are established. This will enable the psychiatrists to depend at least on either physiological or biochemical dimension, rather than being limited to clinical reports on emotions and behavior. It has become evident that the opinions of clinicians concerning the required number of units of depression are strongly influenced. The first factor is the types of patient they most frequently meet. Those diagnosing patients in primary care, outpatient clinics as well as in liaison settings require ways of describing different patients. These are those patients having mild but clinically substantial states of depression. Those whose deal with inpatients regularly need to make use of the more extreme groups (Beck, 2004).Choices for specifying some aspects of affective disorders have been encompassed. Still; they are considerably far from being scientifically proven. They are regarded by psychiatrists globally as clinically useful (Beck, 2004). It is anticipated that their inclusion will arouse further discussion and research about their correct clinical value. Unsolved complications continue to occur. These concern how appropriate it is to define and effectively diagnose the use of the incongruence of misconceptions with mood. There appears to be enough evidence and adequate clinical ultimatum for the inclusion of establishment of mood-congruent. The same applies to mood-incongruent delusions to be considered, even as an optional extra. Since the development of ICD-9, adequate evidence has been gathered to justify the provision of an exceptional group for the brief incidents of depression that meet the rigorous criteria but not the duration standards for depressive incident (Green, 2006). These persistent conditions are of indistinct nosological importance. The provision of a group for their recording ought to encourage the collection of information. This information will later result into a better understanding of the frequency and long-term progression. Early environment and biological genetics seem to be vital contributory factors for schizophrenia. Biologically, the approximations of heritability of schizophrenia vary. The variation is as a result of the complexity of separating the impact of genetics as well as the environment (Berrios, Luque &Villagran, 2003). There is a high level of risk of developing schizophrenia when one possesses a first degree relative with this disorder. Also, over 40% of monozygotic twins arising from individuals with this disorder get affected. An individual who have one parent affected with schizophrenia have a risk of nearly 13% (Berrios, Luque &Villagran, 2003). Those who have both parents affected, on the other hand, have the risk of about 50%. There is likelihood that several genes are involved with every bit of them having an effect as well as an unknown transmission and manifestation. There seems to be a connection between the genetics of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. This claim has been proven by schizophrenia genetic architectures. The report also indicates that this disorder have rare and common variations of risk. Socially, the factors associated with schizophrenia development are the environmental factors (Beck, 2004). These environmental elements entail the use of drugs, the living environment and the prenatal stressors. However, parenting style appears to possess no serious effects. Individuals who have supportive parents tend to do better compare to those having hostile parents. On living conditions, staying in urban areas both during childhood and adult stage has steadily been revealed to increase schizophrenia risk (Green, 2006). This claim can be attributed to the fact that in urban areas, people tend to socialize with individuals from different ethnic backgrounds and social groups. According to research findings, nearly half of schizophrenia victims excessively use either alcohol or drugs (Green, 2006). Some abuse both of the substances. It is argued that cocaine, amphetamine and to a smaller degree, alcohol, can bring about psychosis that tends to be extremely similar to schizophrenia. Alcohol use results into the formation of a chronic element-induced psychotic disorder. The element gets induced through a kindling mechanism (Green, 2006). However, the consumption of alcohol is not connected to an earlier beginning of psychosis. Cannabis is also a contributory aspect in schizophrenia (Green, 2006). However, cannabis alone cannot cause this disorder. In fact, a considerable proportion of the symptoms of schizophrenics have been reported to be dealt with by cannabis. The use of cannabis is therefore not only unnecessary but also insufficient for the emergence of any kind of psychosis. However, an early exposure of a young and developing brain to cannabis may intensify schizophrenia risk. However, it is not easy to quantify the size of the increased risk (Green, 2006). The psychological factors also greatly influence the risk of schizophrenia. These factors include stress; infections, hypoxia and malnutrition among others. Psychological factors increase the risks of this disorder by about 8%. These factors increase the risk since they affect cognitive features that consequently result into neuro-cognitive problems like memory loss. 3.0 Treatment of schizophrenia Treatment of schizophrenia has proven to be a hard nut to crack. It is primarily done by antipsychotic medications that go together with psychological and social support of the patient (Green, 2006). In extreme or server e cases, hospitalization may be required. Hospitalization takes place voluntarily, if the mental health laws permits, it or involuntarily. Long term hospitalization is rare and not advised for patients. Support services for these patients may include; visit by mental health officers, co-operate employment plus support groups. Study shows that regular physical exercise portrays a positive impact on the physical and mental health of patients with the disease (Green, 2006). During medication, the first step is introduction of antipsychotic drugs (Gregg, Barrowclough & Haddock, 2007). The drugs reduce the positive symptoms related to psychosis between seven to fourteen days. With regards to side effects, characteristic antipsychotics are connected to a higher rate of extra pyramidal side effects. Atypical, however, are associated with substantial weight gain, diabetes and hazard of metabolic syndrome. Nevertheless, antipsychotics do not eliminate the negative symptoms (Green, 2006). Patients who use antipsychotics experience reduced risk of relapse. Study reveals that beyond two to three years of continued use, there is little gain. There are two types of antipsychotics a patient can opt for; typical antipsychotics and atypical antipsychotics (Green, 2006). Selection of which antipsychotic to use depends on its gains, risks exposed and costs. For patients unable or are not willing to take regular medications, to achieve control of the disease, preparations of antipsychotics that have a long acting effect is done for them (Green, 2006). This reduces the risk of relapse more than oral medications. If the symptoms ceases in a patient for almost over a year, it is advisable for the patient to stop using antipsychotics according to American Psychiatric Association. In schizophrenia, the most vital disturbance has turned out to be a change in mood to elation or depression. This change in mood results into a change in the entire level of activity. Majority of other symptoms can merely be understood in the context of the changes themselves. The key criteria by which schizophrenia as a disorder has been classified have been selected for practical reasons. This is in the sense that they permit common clinical illnesses to be certainly identified. Single incidents have been notable from bipolar and other numerous episode disorders. This is because substantial magnitudes of patients have merely one episode of illness. Severity is however given distinction because of the implications for treatment and also for provision of diverse levels of service. References Beck, A., T (2004)."A Cognitive Model of Schizophrenia". Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy 18 (3): 281–88. Berrios G.E., Luque R, Villagran J (2003). "Schizophrenia: a conceptual history". International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy 3 (2): 111–140. Fink, M., & Taylor, M. A. (2006). Catatonia: a clinicians guide to diagnosis and treatment. Cambridge University Press. Green M.,F (2006). "Cognitive impairment and functional outcome in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder". Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 67 (Suppl 9): 3–8. Gregg L, Barrowclough C, Haddock G (2007). "Reasons for increased substance use in psychosis".ClinPsychol Rev 27 (4): 494–510. Mueser K.,T, Jeste D.,V (2008). Clinical Handbook of Schizophrenia. New York: Guilford Press. Read More