Historical View Of Schizophrenia - Research Paper Example

Research has been ongoing for decades on mental disorders affecting humans in their daily lives. A disorder like schizophrenia which has diverse symptoms has had thorough research to ascertain the cause of the disorder and the medication to resolve it. The research on the disorder has so far improved with advancement in technology but this is only in developed countries. Introduction According to Rigby & Alexander (2008), schizophrenia is a complicated mental disease that has an effect on an individual, family members and the society. The victim of the disease shows diverse signs of disturbances relating to their emotional and cognitive being. Basically, the victim shows signs of hallucination and an inability to hear and see. Research shows that schizophrenia symptoms have been categorized into three. They are positive, negative and disorganized type of schizophrenia. The positive symptom entails the deformation of the expected behavior of a person. Discrepancy in normal behavior relating to speech is regarded as a negative symptom of schizophrenia. The disorganized symptoms of schizophrenia are characterized by irregular behavior, tedious speech and wrong influence. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition (DSM-IV) explains the mental disorder based on positive and negative sides of the symptoms. According to DSM-IV, the symptoms are usually present in between one and six months and these are the symptoms which are used to define schizophrenia. The positive symptoms are also regarded as active symptoms because the hallucinations and delusions exist while the negative symptoms are loss of speech and emotional effects. The disorder’s existence is continuous starting from small signs and symptoms to rigorous states making it hard to differentiate from bipolar diseases having the same positive and negative symptoms. DSM-IV shows five divisions of schizophrenia. Individuals having paranoid schizophrenia show major hallucinations and delusions despite their cognitive skills and effect being intact. The second type is characterized by disrupted speech and behaviour; in this view, the person is said to have disorganized schizophrenia. The other type is catatonic schizophrenia; a person characterized by abnormal motor responses, for example, being resistant and always in a fixed position. Furthermore, their bodies show weird manners. The other type has no characteristics mentioned above; therefore they are regarded to be having undifferentiated schizophrenia. The fifth type relates to persons who have had schizophrenia before and are regarded as having residual schizophrenia (Durand and Barlow 2010). Historical View of Schizophrenia Schizophrenia has been studied for over 40 years but has remained the most difficult disorder in view of its causes and the features. Despite the longer period of study relating to schizophrenia, the origin and development are still hard to ascertain. Additionally, the history of the disorder shows that schizophrenic pathology and management of the disorder has attained another step. This is because there has been an improvement in research and development of the technology used to study the disease. For example, machines for studying the brain like brain imaging technology is now available. History shows that schizophrenia is viewed differently by different societies. The disease has different meaning to different people, for example, it has been used to describe the person’s personality, mental illness or feelings. Other cultures view individuals with schizophrenia as demonic or controlled by evil spirits. Conversely, others have considered the person as powerful spiritually making some of them to have a fear of the victim. The study of the diseases has so far improved as stated above but there are still many challenges as compared to other ailments. For example, health professionals can have an easier time dealing with cancer than with people suffering from schizophrenia marred with hallucination or delusions. The introduction showed that the disease affects the society and is characterized by usual manners. This has caused panic in many families who have had some of their loved ones undergo such experience. Some of the families have had different thoughts on learning that one of theirs has schizophrenia. The study has shown that the disorder’s main characteristics are hallucinations and delusions mainly regarded as psychosis. History shows that researchers have done their best to develop drugs to control the psychosis mentioned above but are still struggling to deal with cognitive difficulties relating to the disorder. Because of this, they view the solved problem by use of drugs as the closest cure for the main cause of the disease. History shows that there are high chances of developing the disorders within the family if one of the family members had schizophrenia. Because of this, scientists have considered genetics as a cause of the disorder. Despite the introduction of drugs such as antipsychotic drugs in early the 1950s, few achievements have been made to curb its development (Holden 2003). Top of Form Cause of the Illness Biological theories relating to schizophrenia include genetic factors, and from the history of schizophrenia, it was shown that the disorder’s chance of developing genetically is high. According to Rigby & Alexander (2008), individuals with schizophrenia are likely to have their offspring develop the same disorder; the study showed that there is a 10% chance of offspring developing the disorder. Additionally, if one of twins has schizophrenia the chance of the other developing the same disorder is 50%. The other cause of schizophrenia is biochemical factors. Based on this factor there is a wide consideration that the disparity relating to brain chemicals also known as unnecessary dopamine is the main cause of schizophrenia. In regard to needless amounts of dopamine in the brain, scientists have developed drugs to cut the excess dopamine call antipsychotic drugs. The development of the drug has assisted patients in tackling schizophrenia. The study and development is still one and has so far developed more effective drugs to deal with excess dopamine and heal the parts affected by the disorder. The other cause of schizophrenia relates to maternal development. This is the development of a child in the womb. Scientists have concluded that development of diseases such as dyslexia, hyperactivity and autism is also caused by viruses such as influenza. Because of this, the scientists have been trying to find a relationship between the development of schizophrenia and the mother’s health condition. Brain injury has also been put on the list of the causes of schizophrenia. Brain damage at a young age especially during birth or damage of child’s brain at a young age causes schizophrenia later when the child is beyond puberty. Other theories that have been put to be a cause of the disorder are intra or interpersonal theories. These are the family, social and gender factors. Stress is the main cause on the mentioned factors. Treatment According to Rigby & Alexander (2008), the main treatment for schizophrenia is the use of antipsychotic drugs based on the NICE recommendation. Other medications are still being use, mainly the older medication because of the results of the drug when they are prescribed to patients. The drug is the main treatment used by most patients despite the small relief provided by the drug. Research has shown that the drug does perform in a number of patients. The drug is disadvantageous to 25% of the schizophrenic patients mainly because the symptoms are reduced by small percentages. There are approaches that have been identified and applied because they are seen to have an effect on the patients with schizophrenia. The approaches are thought to be better because patients are able to control the symptoms. Some of the approaches for schizophrenia treatment are cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), family intervention and psycho education. The approaches are significant to the patient in the control of symptoms that happen during hallucination like unusual voices by giving support to patients through education. The above approaches could also provide clear communication between the patient and the nurse. This method is beneficial because the patient and nurse could work together in case the patient has problems of voice hearing. Another approach to the treatment of schizophrenia patient is a psychodynamic approach. This approach provides a relationship between the patient and the psychotherapist whereby the patient gives information about his or her feelings to the psychotherapist. This method applies two forms on patients with schizophrenia. The first method is explorative psychotherapy whereby a nurse urges the patient to give the past experience so as to reduce the symptoms. The second form is supportive psychotherapy where the patient is encouraged to stay with symptoms so as to reduce the impact of the illness they are undergoing. The psychodynamic approach is beneficial to the patient when it is used with medication because the patient’s symptoms would be reduced. Additionally, a patient’s relationship with others is encouraged because of him or her being able to provide the feelings to therapist (Rigby & Alexander 2008). Prevention Wide research has been conducted by the scientist to ascertain the root cause of schizophrenia. Scientists are focusing on the cognitive part that they have suggested as the main part affecting short-term memory, attention and the function relating to problem solving and planning. The research which has also been going on is the focus on the patient’s family or relatives. The main focus here is the genes called endophenotypes based on the fact that 20% to 50% of the persons in close relationship with schizophrenia patients have unique symptoms of schizophrenia. For example, according to research, it has been established that close relatives have problems in monitoring moving objects. Such symptoms are significant for the prevention of schizophrenia because it has been established that they predict the occurrence of the ailment (Holden 2003). Research has also shown that environmental factors during childhood development are the main contributor to development of mental disorders including schizophrenia. Some of these environmental factors happen during pregnancy or during birth or a young stage of childhood. Furthermore, other environmental factors might arise at the puberty stage of a young adult. This might affect the child that had already had brain problem at young age. Therefore, there are high chances of developing schizophrenia. But the risk is high in case the child has genes relating to schizophrenia that is if one of the family members or close relative had developed schizophrenia. Prevention of schizophrenia occurrence can be administered on both child and parents. For example, a child can be advised to avoid drug abuse such as use of cannabis. Family members can also be advised to avoid instances that can cause stress. Additionally, research has shown that the development of schizophrenia is increased by problems arising during pregnancy for example disease. Therefore, to avoid the development of mental disorders in the young child, mothers are advised to go for regular medical check up (Gunter 2010). Cross Cultural Factors The rate of schizophrenia across all cultures is quite similar based on the research conducted by different scientists. Additionally, researchers have concluded that there is high prevalence of schizophrenia in urban centres than in the rural areas. Furthermore the research revealed that there is a similarity in the development of schizophrenia in all cultures. The similarities are seen to be more as compared to differences on development of schizophrenia. Because of this, cultural factors play a big role in changes of the symptoms of schizophrenia. Research evaluated that schizophrenia develops towards the adulthood stage. According to research conducted by the WHO, symptoms vary from one country to another with more prevalence in more developed countries. Cultural differences play a major role in bringing the differences. For example, because of the belief in developing countries that schizophrenia is brought by evil spirits, people do not pay much attention to the affected person. Additionally, because of hardships in developing countries like unemployment, schizophrenic individuals can go back easily to the society and live with others. Diversity brought by cultures leads to differences in the delusions appearing on the schizophrenia patients. Delusions tend to happen on schizophrenic patients because of what he or she does in life. For example, in developed countries like America, schizophrenic patients have delusions relating to technology (Chadwick 2008). Biblical Worldview Christians believe that madness in the bible signifies demonic possession. Christians believe that a person becomes sick because of Satan. Clear analysis of the symptoms depicted by the mad person in the holy book has the same features as those of schizophrenia. In Luke 4:41 the story is told of demonic possessed person, where Jesus rebuked the demons giving them no chance to talk. Christians believe that the cause of schizophrenia is the sin because scientists have been in search for the main cause of the disorder with no results. The bible talks about healing all types of ailments through prayers and believe in God. Christian believes that Satan uses both hallucination and delusions to take control of a person just like the way he did to the Christ Jesus. Delusion and hallucinations are some of the features of schizophrenia (Mills 2011). Conclusion The research has shown has clearly explained the main causes of schizophrenia. Environmental exposure and genes have been shown as some of the major causes of schizophrenia. The research also explains that brain damage during pregnancy can contribute to schizophrenia if the child is exposed to stressful environments. Treatment for schizophrenia has had small breakthroughs but research shows that schizophrenic individuals do not recover fully from the disorder. The use of antipsychotic drugs for treatment has been common for the last four decades. Apart from antipsychotic drugs, psychological therapies like psycho-education and family therapies have been use resulting in positive outcome. From the research, prevention of the main causes of schizophrenia is important because it is seen to tackle the root cause. For example, pregnant mothers re advised to avoid alcohol or teenage boys are told to avoid abusing drugs like cannabis. The future research on schizophrenia is bright because of increase technology. For example, machines that can be used to study brain are being continually developed. The current research on related people throughout the world helps to identify future understanding on genes causing schizophrenia. References Chadwick, P. K. (2008). Schizophrenia: The Positive Perspective: Exploration in the Outer Reaches of Human Experience. Anon. (2010). Combating Schizophrenia. Nature Publishing Group, 468(7321), 133. Durand, M. V. & Barlow, D. H. (2010). Essentials of Abnormal Psychology. USA: Cengage Learning. Gunter K., Bart P.F. Rutten, and Jim Van Os. (2010). The Environment and Schizophrenia. Nature Publishing Group. Holden, C. (2003). Deconstructing Schizophrenia. Science, 299(5605), 333-5. Mills, D. H. (2011). Basic Theology. USA: Xulon Press. Rigby, P., & Alexander, J. (2008). Understanding Schizophrenia. Nursing Standard, 22(28), 49- 56; quiz 58, 60. Read More