Mental Health Disorders: Schizophrenia
schizophrenia are more likely to attempt suicide, they are not particularly prone to violence or crimes.
Over the last few years, new anti-psychotic medications have been developed – such as clozapine, risperidone and olanzapine. These drugs do not cure schizophrenia, but they effectively alleviate its symptoms and extrapyramidal side effects (such as rigidity, muscle spasms and tremors) which used to appear in older drug treatments.
Psychosocial treatment is also important in the management of schizophrenia. Rehabilitation and substance abuse treatment are helpful in integrating the patient to the society, and improving the patient’s capability to counteract the degenerative effects of the disease. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) can also help. This treatment seems to be effective in reducing the severity of symptoms and decreasing the risk of relapse in patients which symptoms persist even when they take medication.
Furthermore, the efficacy of treatment can be vastly improved with the participation of family and friends. Because the positive symptoms of this mental illness are easy to distinguish, both patient and relatives are able to act when noticing the prevalence of different behaviour.
Overcoming schizophrenia: too far or too close?
The future of schizophrenia runs parallel to most research in mental health. With the advent of new brain mapping and scanning technologies, such as PET, MRI, fMRI and the developments in genetic research – scientists are narrowing their focus to the interaction between neurons and how each of our cognitive functions affect neurotransmission at a molecular level. With this in hand, there are expectations that the approach to schizophrenia will be more specific and efficient – but to predict cure at this stage, is a long shot.
Nevertheless, there may be more excitement in the other side of the spectrum. Identifying the exact gene combination which increases the incidence of this condition, and the role of non-genetic factors, may still seem distant. However, another solution could effectively help the vast population suffering from the symptoms of schizophrenia.
The general thinking is that the best way to combat an illness is to develop a cure. What about instead of finding the cure, combating the symptoms? That is the approach used for most illnesses which cure is yet to be discovered, and it could be a temporary solution to improve the lives of millions. Cognitive enhancers, such as nootropics (cited in a previous edition of this ezine) and cognitive enhancing methods – such as the use of electric waves in specific brain regions – could counteract some of the debilitating symptoms of schizophrenia.
Most of these techniques are still being tested, but they are much closer to reality and have already predictions to reach the market within a few years. Although there have been some studies in cognitive enhancing drugs, new drug classes are on the scene – and brain science and pharmacology are allowing further discoveries in the field. What will be the next step? That might not be the one million dollar question, but perhaps it holds the answer which over 65 million people have been waiting for.
Sources *Davies, J. (November 2005) A Manual of Mental Health Care in General Practice, Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, Canberra.
** National Institute of Mental Health Website (www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/schizresfact.cfm).
Pedro Gondim is a writer and publisher for the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. The Institute is Australia’s largest counsellor training provider, offering the internationally renowned Diploma of Professional Counselling. For more information, visit www.aipc.net.au/lz.
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