PURPOSE Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders are perhaps one of the most debilitating and stigmatizing mental health conditions practitioners will encounter out in the field

WK 6 Discussion

Schizophrenia

According to Strong and Ludwin, schizophrenia is the most prevalent of psychotic diseases characterized by cognitive problems (2020). The symptoms of schizophrenia mostly affect the content of one's thoughts and behavior, which varies from person to person. They are traditionally divided between positive and negative symptoms; nevertheless, these concepts do not indicate their mendacity or malady. When referring to something that did not exist in the past, the term "positive" is used in psychology. In contrast, the term negative denotes the loss of previously acquired capability. Antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and other drugs now available are safe and efficient for the patient.

There are also two types of psychological interventions: individual (a therapist and a patient) and group (a therapist and several patients). It is important to emphasize that these current psychosocial techniques are a compliment and not an alternative to pharmacological therapy. For example, schizophrenia means having a distortion of reality, but cognitive problems are common and distancing from the social environment due to the disease itself and social stigma. "Common domains of concern in this population, particularly in an inpatient psychiatric setting, include the capacity to consent to psychiatric treatment and the capacity to live independently." (Strong & Ludwin, 2020).