Articles Tagged ‘schizophrenia’

Psychiatry & Psychology | By May 22, 2006 | By Elise Stobbe | 7 Comments

Impaired Awareness of Mental Illness

There are about six million severely mentally ill people in the United States. About half of these severely mentally ill do not know they are ill. (1) (Severe mental illness includes schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and a few other diagnoses). There is a medical term for this condition: anosognosia, an impaired awareness of one’s own disturbed mental condition, despite evidence to the contrary. An ill person may claim that everything is fine, when it is not. This impaired awareness of mental illness is caused by damage to specific parts of the brain. Neurocognitive deficits, or symptoms of a brain dysfunction, are part of the mental illness. People with anosognosia do not recognize that hallucinations, mania, delusions, paranoia or other symptoms of mental illness are, in fact, mental illness. Read more →

Severe Psychiatric Disabilities and Employment | May 13, 2006 | 5 Comments

There are many people with common neurotic anxiety disorders who continue to work despite their condition, depending on severity. However, people with more serious psychiatric disabilities such as schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder, often drop out of the workplace when their mental condition reaches... Read more →

Biopsychosocial Model Transformations and Its Future | April 21, 2006 | 1 Comment

Engel’s portrayal of the biopsychosocial model has significantly redefined psychiatry, medicine, and psychology. With the emergence of health psychology and behavioral medicine in primary care settings and the training of general practitioners on different health paradigms, patients are increasingly... Read more →

Living with a Brain Disorder: Paula, 16-20, Anorexia Nervosa, Depression, Insomnia | April 17, 2006 | 1 Comment

Interviewee: Paula, age 16-20, from Ohio was diagnosed with “Anorexia Nervosa in January 2002 at Children’s Hospital in Omaha, NE Moderate depression and insomnia in November 2004 at Physician’s Clinic in Omaha, NE”. Anorexia often prevents the accepting of lunch or dinner invitations,... Read more →

Integrating Schizophrenia Management | April 07, 2006 | 11 Comments

Schizophrenia treatment has significantly evolved since Nobel Laureate John Nash was initially treated with electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) and insulin coma “therapies” in the 50-60’s — as portrayed in the movie, A Beautiful Mind. Now, the ultimate goals of schizophrenia clinical... Read more →

Vulnerability-Stress-Coping Model for Schizophrenia | March 28, 2006 | 0 Comments

Schizophrenia is a multifaceted disorder that manifests by both genetic and environmental factors. A plethora of twin and adoption studies suggest major genetic influences on the pathogenesis of schizophrenia; however, a MZ concordance of 50% also suggests environmental factors (Cardno et al., 1999).... Read more →

Integration of the Biopsychosocial Model in Contemporary Psychiatry | March 26, 2006 | 2 Comments

Psychosis involves a disconnection with reality and perceptions outside the range of normality. Moreover, it is the common multifaceted symptom of psychotic disorders often accompanied by behavioral abnormalities and cognitive impairments. In fact, such characteristics are used to differentially classify... Read more →

Living with a Brain Disorder: Nicole, 26-30, Bipolar & PTSD | March 25, 2006 | 0 Comments

Interviewee: Nicole, age 26-30, from Washington was diagnosed with “Bipolar 2 Disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)”. I became depressed many years ago when I was 21 years old. It started after I had flashbacks to my childhood where it began to show me I was molested by someone.... Read more →