CNL-605 Developmental Psychopathology Case Study Essay (1)
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1
Treating Schizophrenia
Paola A. Duarte
College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Grand Canyon University
CNL-605: Psychopathology
Dr. Catherine Mueller-Bell
November 8, 2023
Treating Schizophrenia
Psychotic disorders are a group of severe mental disorders that affect a person’s mind by
causing abnormal thinking and abnormal perceptions. Psychotic disorders make it hard for a
person to think clearly, respond emotionally, and understand reality. Psychotic disorders also
make it difficult for a person to make good judgements and behave appropriately. Some
examples of psychotic disorders include severe depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder,
schizoaffective disorder, paranoid personality disorder or schizotypal personality disorder,
postpartum psychosis and delusional disorder. In this paper I will create a treatment plan for Ted,
a 40-year old male exhibiting symptoms of schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is “a serious mental illness that affects how a person thinks, feels, and
behaves. People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality, which can
be distressing for them and for their family and friends.”. (National Institute of Mental Health,
2023). Ted had suffered from chronic schizophrenia, dominated by paranoid symptoms, for 20
years. Ted experienced bizarre delusions of altered body states. Ted had death wishes and
suicidal thoughts since the onset of his schizophrenia. Ted also suffered from paranoid fears of
being murdered. The day before he committed suicide, he visited his childhood home and
became afraid that a group of men had surrounded the house. Ted displays the following
symptoms of schizophrenia:
Psychotic symptoms: Hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorder.
Negative symptoms: Difficulty functioning normally
Cognitive symptoms: Problems in attention, concentration and memory.
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Secondary Diagnosis
A potential secondary diagnosis for Ted is Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD).
According to Medline Plus (2022), “Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) is a mental condition in
which a person has a long-term pattern of distrust and suspicion of others. The person does not
have a full-blown psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia.”. Causes of Paraonid Personality
Disorder are unknown. Medline Plus (2022), explains that “People with PPD are very suspicious
of other people. As a result, they severely limit their social lives. They often feel that they are in
danger and look for evidence to support their suspicions. They have trouble seeing that their
distrust is out of proportion to their environment.”. Some common symptoms of PPD include:
Concern that other people have hidden motives, thinking that they will be exploited (used) or
harmed by others, not able to work together with others, social isolation, detachment, and
hostility (Medline Plus, 2022). According to the case study, Ted experienced paranoid symptoms
for 20 years. Ted experienced paranoid fears of being murdered. The most prominent feature of
PPD is a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others. According to Stern et al., (2008), “
The
prevalence of paranoid personality disorder in the general population is approximately 0.5% to
2.5%. There appears to be an increased incidence in families with schizophrenia and delusional
disorder. The diagnosis is far more common in males than it is in females.”.
Treatment Options
Unfortunately, schizophrenia requires lifelong treatment. Schizophrenia can be treated
with psychosocial therapy and psychiatric medications. In some cases, hospitalization is needed
to stabilize the patients/clients. First, people with schizophrenia are often prescribed
antipsychotic medications. Some examples include Clozapine, Olanzapine, Aripiprazole, and
Risperidone, among others. Medications are “
thought to control symptoms by affecting the brain
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neurotransmitter dopamine.” (Mayo Clinic, 2020). According to the Mayo Clinic (2020),
“Because medications for schizophrenia can cause serious side effects, people with
schizophrenia may be reluctant to take them. Willingness to cooperate with treatment may affect
drug choice. For example, someone who is resistant to taking medication consistently may need
to be given injections instead of taking a pill.”.
Psychosocial interventions to treat schizophrenia may include individual therapy, social
skills training, family therapy and vocational rehabilitation and supported employment. Some
states may offer SMI (Serious Mental Illness) programs to individuals diagnosed with a serious
mental illness such as schizophrenia. These programs may offer employment opportunities, IOP,
inpatient and outpatient hospitalization and monetary assistance. Finally, electroconvulsive
therapy is an option to treat schizophrenia. According to the Mayo Clinic (2020), “For adults
with schizophrenia who do not respond to drug therapy, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be
considered. ECT may be helpful for someone who also has depression.”.
Treatment Goals and Treatment Objectives
Treatment Goals:
1.
Reduce the severity of psychosis(e.g., agitation, aggression, negative symptoms, affective
symptoms).
2.
Reduce the severity of delusional symptoms
3.
Control disturbed behavior
Treatment Objectives:
4
1.
Reinstate the quality of life
2.
Improve the quality of life to function normally on a daily basis
3.
Return to personal and social responsibilities
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Reference List
Mayo Clinic. (2020).
Schizophrenia
. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-
conditions/schizophrenia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354449
Medline Plus. (2022).
Paranoid Personality Disorder
.
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000938.htm#:~:text=Paranoid%20personality
%20disorder%20(PPD)%20is,psychotic%20disorder%2C%20such%20as
%20schizophrenia
National Institute of Mental Health. (2023).
Schizophrenia
. National Institute of Mental Health
(NIMH).
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia
Stern, T. A., Rosenbaum, J. F., Fava, M., Biederman, J., & Rauch, S. L. (2008).
Massachusetts
General hospital comprehensive clinical psychiatry
. Elsevier Health Sciences.
6
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