The Heterogeneity of Clinical Outcomes Associated with Schizophrenia: Is Full Recovery

Introduction

There are numerous mental illnesses hence it would be appropriate to perform a number of tests in order to be able to identify the specific kind to be able to derive a relevant cure. However, the inequalities associated with mental illnesses also are pertinent for people with schizophrenia in the quest to access the correct pharmacological and psychological therapeutic assistance. The paper is aimed at affirming the heterogeneity of clinical outcomes associated with schizophrenia: however, it will also clarify on the possibility of achieving either full recovery or typical recovery.

The inequalities in attaining medication are a challenge to the patients especially the minority groups who often resort to seeking medication at the final stages when they are unable to cope with the patients. Despite the ability to contain schizophrenia, it is adept to seek both medical and psychological therapies at the initial stages once a patient is identified with signs and symptoms of mental illness since it would be easier to exercise proper management with ease at this stage (Moller, 2008, p. 259).

The numerous mental illnesses are approached differently in terms of treatment and medication processes; however, for schizophrenia, patients have to undergo myriad tests and historical information to affirm the stages that a patient might have passed through to be able to exhibit obvious characteristics of the illness (Bellack, 2004, p. 359). Some of the therapeutic procedures to be considered includes but not limited to cognitive behavior therapy, family intervention, and careful use of anti-psychotics and arts therapies, Mind. (2005). These are some of the best practices so far in the efforts to resolve cases of schizophrenia within the global perspective hence it is advisable to enlighten people on the same to aid in assisting the victims (Thakore, 2005, p. 435).

Through a systematic clinical practice a better and achievable outcome would be attained hence assisting patients and clinicians to derive an achievable approach for treating schizophrenia. Throughout research outcome achieved by the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health programs and the World Health Organization reaffirmed that there are a number of disorders which require different approaches to be able to control and treat. For instance, schizophrenia, delusional disorder, schezopreniform disorder and schizoaffective disorder; however, there are other mental disorders which exhibits almost the same characteristics but are not included due to differential approach and therapeutic techniques (Moller, 2008, p. 261).

Symptoms of schizophrenia

In order to be able to derive treatment and approach to any mental disorder, it is adept to be able to differentiate it from the other disorders. For instance, as a major disorder within the mental disorders cluster, it alters individuals’ thoughts, perception and also affects behavior (Berlin, 2001, p. 187). Patients with the disorder exhibit unique spectacular combination of experience and symptoms which are influenced by specific circumstances, Mind (2005). The affected individuals react differently to same circumstances when subjected to a test situation making it complex to perceive their intellectual capabilities (Masrallah, 2008, p. 28).

This affirms that not all the affected would be treated through the same procedure both psychological and clinically disapproving the possibility of deriving full recovery (Thornicroft, 2006, p. 37). The prodromal period that precedes schizophrenia is characterized by deterioration of personal functionalities for instance tampered concentration, memory lapse, peculiar characters, lawlessness, boredom, social withdrawal, communication problems, weird ideas, poor personal hygiene, perceptual experience, low self esteem and lack of interest and motivation among other factors which are peculiar to individuals (Ulrich, 2007, p. 39).

Through the second face of the illness, some of the signs and symptoms experienced during t he first face may disappear while some of the issues they go through would be kept secret for themselves. At times they are characterized by positive symptoms which in most people do not last for long, the stage requires attention since they are likely to become worse predisposing the risk to cases like rape and brutality which would negatively impact on their families (Waller, & Finn, 2004, p. 120).

Since the third stage may last for years, but only about 14 to 20 % of the victims may recover fully. Most of the victims are faced with situations which are suicidal, about 50% die from suicidal acts while about 10% of the deaths are caused by violent situations lowering their life expectancy (Warner, 1994, p. 29).

Conclusion

Due to the deteriorating lifelong illness, the psychiatrists and health care personnel are pessimistic on schizophrenia terming it as a severe case which negatively affects the efforts to achieve full recovery from the illness. Inspire of that the anti-psychotic medication is perceived to cause more harm to the patients by inducing endocrine abnormalities for example, (galactorrhoea and diabetes), other than that they may develop neurological disorders for example, tardive dyskinesia. Other adverse effects include metabolic abnormalities for example, weight gain and lipid abnormalities as well as cardiovascular side effects especially longer QT intervals on electro- cardiograph machine. The use of pharmacological treatment involves antibiotics which are affirmed not to clear off the considerable problems; hence I affirm that full recovery from schizophrenia is not possible.

References

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Masrallah, H. A. (2008). A typical antipsychotic- induced metabolic side effects: insights from the inspector- binding profiles. Molecular Psychiatry, 13, 27- 35.

Mind. (2005). Fact Sheet- Statistics 5: The financial Aspect of Mental Health Problems. Available at: http//: mind. Org. uk/ help/ social factors/ statistics_5_the_financial_aspects_of_mental_health_problems [accessed on 12th March, 2012].

Moller, H. J. (2008). Do effectiveness (‘real world’) studies on antipsychotics tell us the real truth? European archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 258, 257- 270.

Thakore, J. H. (2005). Metabolic syndrome and schizophrenia: British journal of psychiatry. 186, 435- 436.

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