Caregiver Model

Nordby,K. Kjonsberg, K. Hummelvoll, J.K.(2009) Relatives of persons with recently discovered serious mental illness: in need of support to become resource persons in treatment and recovery.(Appendix 1). Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing. 17, 304-311.

The NSW Mental Health Act 2007 lays down the foundation in the proper provision and facilitation of care and treatment to persons with mental health disorders and promote their recovery while protecting the rights of these persons. One of the provisions of the Act uplifting this objective is in the involvement of family and nominated carers of patients. As defined by the Act, designated carers may represent from the person’s guardians; the parent

Most families opt not to involve themselves because of the negative stigma of having a family member with schizophrenia. In addition to this there are many factors that affects attending family intervention due to work hours, lack of time, and transportation considerations and other outside factors (Bleecher, 2009 p 264). Although attending intervention can be very lengthy and time consuming family psychoeducation reduces a great percentage of hospitalizations. Overall, families who involve themselves have an overall better outcome for both the family and the ill member because they are helping the child’s social and emotional health (Bleecher, 2009). The effectiveness of family involvement of individuals with schizophrenia in both individual and family outcomes has been established is as an evidence based practice in the mental health field. There is a need for greater understanding of the barriers to involving families in order to move toward the eventual goal of increased practitioner and family collaboration. Although, there is no sufficient data that can prove this aside from a number of case studies further research must be done.

Some organizations and groups have come up to create awareness and sensitivity on schizophrenia. These organizations offer support to both schizophrenics and their families, helping them to cope with the disease. The organizations also provide a means for the schizophrenics to meet, and share their experiences which give them a sense of belonging. They offer education concerning the disease to both schizophrenics and their families, and this helps in managing stressful situations in their lives.

Patients with dementia are highly subject to psychosocial interventions. Thus, frank will tend to rely on his two children (Thomas and Jenny) and staff at the residential home for support and protection. Psychosocial model of care involves psychological therapy, which can be delivered on a one-to-one/group basis to meet important psychological needs as well as have impact on physiological level (Bartle and Frankland, 2008). These psychological therapies include Cognitive stimulation therapy (C.S.T), Reminiscence and Animal

The final article I analyzed was titled “Aging Parents of Adults with Serious Mental Illness” and was written by Jennifer Van Pelt. This article sought to address the type of support parents caring for special needs adult children require as they age. It discussed how parents are the primary caregivers to children with a severe mental illness, or SMI, throughout the majority of the child’s life. The amount of care provided to adults with SMI by their aging parents is so substantial that if parental caregivers stopped providing care, public programs could never handle it. The author of this article wanted to put more focus on assisting the aging caregiver population, increase their emotional well-being, and lower their stress burden through the use of a social work home-based intervention program. In the pilot study, families received instruction on problem-solving techniques, education about the adult child’s particular mental illness, and sessions that included cognitive therapy, stress management, behavioral management, and future planning. This initial study yielded promising results, including greater life satisfaction and less emotional stress reported by aging parents. The author concludes the article by discussing the importance of planning for the future and how the adult child with SMI will be taken care of after the parents’ deaths.

Every day, schizophrenia not only disrupts the lives of hundreds of thousands of Canadians, but it also places a significant strain on our society. This disorder affects approximately 300,000 Canadians, and places a burden on not only the patient, but their families, the clinicians and other health care professionals. Deinstitutionalization, importance on legal rights, ineffective policy, and community based treatment all contribute to the way services for schizophrenia are delivered in Canada. Symptoms of Schizophrenia can affect daily functions of which people rely on. These symptoms can vary in severity which creates obstacles such as being able to maintain employment, relationships, and engage in social network; which results in a lower standard of living among these individuals.

Family routines are changed greatly do the fact that person that affect by schizophrenia now need some type of structure now more than ever. Making a simple and stress less routine allows the person time to relax and have time alone each day. Family might have to have more low-key regular daily activities and less "big events" routines, the less the person has to stress over the better the person will be.(2)

Schizophrenia affects approximately 2.5 million Americans and more than 24 million people worldwide (Janssen). Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that is very difficult to live with. Schizophrenia has strong hereditary component (Smith, Segal). People with schizophrenia hear voices, lose touch with reality, can’t think clearly, function, see things or hear things that are not really there, and can’t distinguish what is real and what is unreal(Smith, Segal). Having this disorder could affect the relationship they have with others and even loved ones. To students who are non-aware of this disorder should know that this could happen to anyone.

Throughout the many years, there have been many negative public perceptions of Schizophrenia, which is known by majority of the public as an indication of mental illness. This disorder is most of the time perceived by the public as caused by psychological factors. People with this mental illness are considered to be unpredictable and threatening (Angermeyer & Matschinger, 2003, p. 526). Most patients have a behavioural dysfunction. Victims, families and society carry a substantial burden due to this illness (Wood & Freedman, 2003).

People need help in various ways because when they are suffering with schizophrenia, they have difficulty with thinking, motivation, physical activities, activities of the daily living, relations, and communication skills. There are many useful therapies, for instance, individual psychotherapy helps the person to understand more about their illness and to better help with their daily lives. Rehabilitation helps them with problem solving support, social skills, and education in money management. They might be benefitted with improvement in cognitive and thinking skills. With the help of cognitive behavioral therapy the patient is helped to test and understand the reality of their thoughts and perceptions. With this therapy they get help on managing on not listening to the voices that tells them what to do, and most importantly to manage their symptoms overall. Personally, the most important therapy is family education, because it is important that all the family members are aware of the person suffering from schizophrenia. Their family should learn everything about this illness, they should also make sure that their loved ones follow their medication and treatments

Other interventions and treatments that may be introduced once the individual is stable enough on medication to be receptive and benefit from these treatments include: individual therapy, group counseling, family counseling, vocational rehabilitation/training, social skills training, and daily living skills training. It is also important to provide the family with support, education, and the proper intervention skills, to assist them with coping with the difficulties that come with having a family member diagnosed with schizophrenia (Preston, O'Neal & Talaga, 2010).

This essay focuses on the diagnosis of schizophrenia, a major mental illness with much stigma and misinformation associated with it. World Health Organisation (WHO, 2012) epidemiological evidence suggests that schizophrenia is a mental illness affecting 24 million people worldwide. This essay will define schizophrenia and its characteristic signs and symptoms in relation to cognition, mood, behaviour and psychosocial functioning. The criteria enabling a diagnosis of schizophrenia are explored, as well as contemporary nursing care and pharmacological treatments. The positive and negative signs and symptoms of schizophrenia will be discussed and the treatment and care requirements outlined by the NSW Mental Health Act (2007) are also

Schizophrenia is a universal mental illness which is both complex and devastating. Schizophrenia generally begins in the early stages of life and may lead to lifelong disabilities (Moritz, 2010). The context of this paper shall include an introduction on schizophrenia as well as the reasoning this discipline was chosen. It will include a critiqued research study that will explain how the research was presented. The primary focus on the research study will be a literature review, the methods used, the results found, and a presented discussion.

Schizophrenia, unlike most disorders, is a standout amongst the most genuine of the mental disorders. It is known that one in a hundred individuals are affected by it, and starts in either youth or early adulthood. Schizophrenia brings social interruption, anguish and hardship to the individuals who experience the ill effects of it, as well as to their family. Under those circumstances, it is known to be the most devastating of all disorders. There are both negative and positive symptoms when it comes to dealing with schizophrenia. Despite the fact that there are various negative indications, the most present one is limitations or absence in thoughts and behaviours that are characteristics in normal functioning. For this