Schizopherenia

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by positive symptoms such as delusions
and hallucinations, negative symptoms including amotivation and social withdrawal, and
cognitive symptoms such as difficulties with working memory and cognitive flexibility. The
disorder results in significant healthcare costs and is linked to a reduced life expectancy (Boland
et al., 2022).
It is crucial to diagnose schizophrenia accurately. The American Psychiatric Association (APA,
2022) has established specific diagnostic criteria. Two or more symptoms should be present for a
significant amount of time, for one month. These include Delusions, Hallucinations,
Disorganized speech (e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence), grossly disorganized or catatonic
behavior, Negative symptoms (e.g., diminished emotional expression or avolition), and
Continuous signs of the disturbance persist for at least six months.
For a significant portion of time since the onset of the disturbance, the level of functioning in
one or more major areas, such as work, interpersonal relations, or self-care, has been markedly
below the level achieved prior to the onset (or, when the onset is in childhood or adolescence,
there has been a failure to achieve the expected level of interpersonal, academic, or occupational
functioning).
Schizoaffective disorder and depressive or bipolar disorder with psychotic features have been
ruled out.
The disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a
drug of abuse, a medication) or another medical condition.
If there is a history of autism spectrum disorder or a communication disorder

of childhood onset, the additional diagnosis of schizophrenia is made only if
prominent delusions or hallucinations, in addition to the other required symptoms of
schizophrenia, are also present for at least one month (or less if successfully treated).
Treatment
The use of antipsychotic medications is vital for managing acute psychotic episodes, as it
significantly alleviates symptoms in 81% of individuals experiencing first-episode schizophrenia
and 51% of those grappling with chronic schizophrenia. Treating the negative symptoms of
schizophrenia with pharmaceuticals alone is challenging. Psychosocial interventions in
combination with antipsychotics can address defeatist beliefs, negative expectations, and asocial
preferences. Incorporating general behavioral and skill-based interventions such as social skills
training and cognitive remediation therapy is crucial. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has
shown moderate positive effects in reducing apathy and improving motivation as a complement
to antipsychotic treatment (Correll & Schooler, 2020).
Prognosis
Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia often face a more challenging outlook compared to those
with other psychotic disorders. Our study underscores the critical importance of providing
ongoing supportive care and treatment for this complex mental condition. The findings challenge
the misconception that schizophrenia always leads to a decline in mental health. It is possible to
recover from schizophrenia. However, schizophrenia is still a severe and intricate mental
disorder, with a slight improvement in prognosis despite over 100 years of research and attempts
to enhance treatment (Molstrom et al., 2022).

References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic
disorders. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.x02_schizophrenia_spectrum
Boland, R. J., Verduin, M. L., Ruiz, P. (2022). Kaplan & Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry. (12th
ed.) Wolters Kluwer.
Correll, C. U., & Schooler, N. R. (2020). Negative symptoms in schizophrenia: A review and
Clinical Guide for recognition, assessment, and treatment. Neuropsychiatric Disease and
Treatment, Volume 16, 519–534. https://doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s225643
Molstrom, I.-M., Nordgaard, J., Urfer-Parnas, A., Handest, R., Berge, J., & Henriksen, M. G.
(2022). The prognosis of schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-
regression of 20-year follow-up studies. Schizophrenia Research, 250, 152–163.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2022.11.010.

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Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by positive symptoms such as delusions

It is crucial to diagnose schizophrenia accurately. The American Psychiatric Association (APA,

Disorganized speech (e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence), grossly disorganized or catatonic

behavior, Negative symptoms (e.g., diminished emotional expression or avolition), and

Continuous signs of the disturbance persist for at least six months.

The disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a

drug of abuse, a medication) or another medical condition.

If there is a history of autism spectrum disorder or a communication disorder

prominent delusions or hallucinations, in addition to the other required symptoms of

significantly alleviates symptoms in 81% of individuals experiencing first-episode schizophrenia

schizophrenia with pharmaceuticals alone is challenging. Psychosocial interventions in

to antipsychotic treatment (Correll & Schooler, 2020).

to enhance treatment (Molstrom et al., 2022).

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic

disorders. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

ed.) Wolters Kluwer.

Treatment, Volume 16, 519–534. https://doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s225643

regression of 20-year follow-up studies. Schizophrenia Research, 250, 152–163.

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