Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a chronic and disabling mental disorder, involving a complex set of disturbances, associated with abnormalities of brain structure and function, disorganised speech and behaviour, delusions, and hallucinations1. The initial stage in treatment involves assessing the patient’s risk. A comprehensive biopsychosocial model of assessment should be embedded in all suicide risk assessment2. Due to the complex interplay of factors in each case, NICE has advised that standardised questionnaires and tools are of limited use and ‘can be harmful2. Tailoring the risk assessment to the diagnosis, stage of illness, and individual risk/protective factors is the gold standard for assessment2. Therefore, this process is a multistage continuum, examining ideation, intent and plan as initial indicators of risk, and suicide attempt as a long term measure of risk3. This is particularly complex in SCZ because suicide attempts often occur without warning or any verbal expression of intent, therefore predictive factors are limited4. In Mrs X’s case, it was an impulsive act, resulting in greater difficulty …show more content…
The most consistent measure that confers a protective factor in the context of suicidality in SCZ is the delivery and adherence to treatment2. Bringing an acute episode to remission as soon as possible and preventing relapse is essential in maintaining function and well- being5. Implementing a comprehensive, patient-centered biopsychosocial model of care is integral to effective care. In 1977, Engel first introduced this concept which aims to ‘broaden the approach to disease’ beyond the traditional medical model6. This method places greater emphasis on the patent’s “verbal account” 6. Management of this case will now be discussed using the biopsychosocial model as a framework to understand the determinants of disease and guide treatment
The True Life episode, I have Schizophrenia, documented the struggles of three adults who suffer from Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective disorder. This paper will focus around Josh and whether he actually has Schizophrenia.
From a sociocultural viewpoint would suggest that maybe his race, as well as his country, and social environment could play a role in his schizophrenia also people labeling him as not normal could have played a role in a self fulfilling prophecy. Sociocultural views may also suggest that family stresses may have been a contribution to his schizophrenia.
I chose to write my research paper over Schizophrenia. It is a psychological disorder that I have always found fascinating. It is a serious disorder that consumes a person's life and is nearly impossible to control. In this paper, I will talk about the definition of Schizophrenia, the diagnosis of Schizophrenia, Schizophrenia in children, suicide, sexually related characteristics of the disease, sleep disorders caused by the disease, differences in the disease on different ethnicities, and insensitivity to pain.
hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, and hospitals claiming “other specialty”. The criteria for the study were previous suicide attempts, drug abuse, and being admitted to a hospital for suicidality. Whether or not the hospitals conducted a mental health assessment was not a requirement for participation in the study, but this factor was considered.
Valerie believes that the last four years of her marriage are what brought about her development of paranoid schizophrenia. During her last four years of marriage Valerie experienced a great deal of stress and strain to keep her marriage together. Because Valerie did not believe in divorce she turned to her religion and became deeply involved in her church. Her first delusion began during this period when she believed bad people were infiltrating her church and trying to destroy the
This report is a critical review of the evidence around the use of no-suicide contracts with mentally ill patients experiencing suicidal ideation. It will ask the question “When treating mentally ill patients, does the use of ‘No- Suicide contracts reduce suicide outcomes?”. Suicide is a global concern and given the current social and economic difficulties current society face, is imperative we continue to consider effective suicide prevention strategies. The literature suggests that no suicide contracts are widely used within this area of practice and are concerned with asking a person to promise not to harm themselves. This report suggests that there is limited evidence to support the effectiveness of no suicide contracts. However where they have been used successfully, it may be the use of the relationship between the clinician and patient which influences the positive outcome. Based on the findings the report recommends that further training around clinical risk management and suicide prevention strategies should be offered to a local team to reduce the use of no suicide contracts in isolation. Bridges transformation model was used to develop and implement an action plan to support change.
Schizophrenia is a severe, disabling and chronic disorder that affects people. Schizophrenia is diagnosed as a psychotic disorder. This is because a person suffering from schizophrenia cannot tell their own thoughts, perceptions, ideas, and imaginations from the reality. There is continuing debate and research as to whether schizophrenia is one condition or a combination of more than one syndrome that have related features. People suffering from schizophrenia may seem perfectly fine until the time they talk actually talk about they are thinking. People with schizophrenia rely on others for help since they cannot care for themselves of hold a job. There is no cure for schizophrenia, but there is treatment that relieves some of the symptoms. People having the disorder will cope with the symptoms all their lives. There have been cases of people suffering from schizophrenia leading meaningful and rewarding lives. There are five types of schizophrenia namely paranoid, disorganized, residual, undifferentiated, and catatonic schizophrenia. This paper will discuss paranoid schizophrenia.
Most persons who later attempt suicide have given some indication of being at risk, of having ideation or intent related to suicide. The suicide rate among physicians and nurses is higher than in the general population; their special knowledge of pharmacology and physiology can make attempts more likely to be lethal. Most people who complete suicide have made at least one previous attempt, and a history of prior attempts is one of the strongest predictors of future risk. Some attempts may appear unlikely to have succeeded from the outset, because the means was one of low lethality (e.g., choking oneself with socks wrapped around the neck) or because circumstances would have led to
Psychiatric and general hospitals are required to, “Conduct a risk assessment that identifies specific characteriscts of the individual served and environmental features that may increase or decrease the risk for suicide” (Joint Commission, 2010). Many psychiatric hospitals have extended their services in the last few decades to drug and alcohol rehabilitation and these admissions and their environments will now require a complete suicide risk assessment, if it has not been done so before.
This week clinical I felt better prepared than I did with my first week. I was able to focus a lot more on interpersonal skills and develop therapeutic relationship with my patients. In terms of Mental Status Examination (MSE), this assessment provided me with a helpful base of information from which to observe changes, progress, and monitor risks. Especially, suicide risk assessment is a gateway to patient treatment and management. The purpose of suicide risk assessment is to identify treatable and modifiable risks and protective factors that inform the patient’s treatment and safety management requirements. I got insight into how important it is to document suicide risk assessments with sufficient information. Documentation of suicide risk assessments facilitates continuity of care and promotes communication between staff members across changing shifts. It is easy for suicidal patients to “fall through the cracks” of a busy psychiatric unit that has rapid patient turnover of admissions and discharges, and mostly during shift change. Asking question such as “What is your view of the future?” or “Do you think things will get better or worse?” helped me to elicit important information regarding patients suicidal ideation. Additionally, how my patients expressed their hope about the future assisted me to identify, prioritize, and integrate risk and protective factors into an overall assessment of the patient’s suicide risk and include in MSE.
Therapy for psychosis often works best when combined with medication, although this is not always
The patient expressed she has no current suicidal ideation or homicidal ideation. However, she admitted to suicidal ideation in the past, right after her breakup, approximately two months ago. She expressed that she wanted to hurt herself and had a plan on how to do so, but did not think she could go through with it. Her plan was to overdose by taking her mother’s
I have chosen to demonstrate my understanding of this module by focussing on the subject of abnormal psychology, in particular mental ill-health. I was interested in furthering my knowledge of mental ill-health following one shift where my colleague and I were required to treat four patients who had attempted to commit suicide. This essay will begin by defining abnormal psychology and mental health. It will then discuss current statistics regarding mental ill-health as well as discuss causes, the various disorders and how they affect the individual. This essay will then review risk factors that can place an individual at higher probability a mental illness. Furthermore, it will discuss suicide and how the joint royal colleges ambulance liaison committee (JRCALC) suicide and self-harm risk assessment form can be utilised by ambulance clinicians to evaluate patients. This essay will conclude by discussing why knowledge of mental health will benefit me as an ambulance clinician.
Throughout psychology today there are six different theoretical models that seek to explain and treat abnormal functioning or behavior. These different models have been a result of different ideas and beliefs over the course of history. As psychology began to grow so did the improvements in research techniques. As a result psychologists are able to explain a variety of disorders in terms of the six different theoretical models. In the movie A Beautiful Mind it follows the mathematician John Nash as he struggles with schizophrenia. It an attempt to explain John Nash’s disorder the six different theoretical models will be looked at, they include biological model, psychodynamic model, behavioral model, cognitive model, humanistic model,
The patient M. is a 26 year old married female who was brought to the ER by her husband after increased anxiety and depression worsened after a “spiritual attack” that lasted for over four days. While in the ER the patient admitted to hearing multiple distant male and female voices all around her head and outside of her head. She states not being able to make out the message but interprets them to be negative in nature. She told the ER Doc she felt people were trying to harm her and that “people in her life have used things against her.” She felt her extended family may have used witchcraft and “chakra dolls” to cast spells on her. She is cognizant of the strangeness of her claims but believes them to be real