Schizophrenia
more than 2 million Americans affected by schizophrenia; 1 in 5 recovers completely [s.64]
usually develops late teens/early 20s [s.64]
symptoms: hallucinations, delusions, disordered thinking, social withdrawal [s.64]
1/10 people with schizophrenia eventually commit suicide [s.64]
"less than half of patients receive appropriate treatment - medication doses may have been incorrect and there was often inadequate use of psychosocial, vocational, and family therapies" ["Schizophrenia Research At the National Institute of Mental Health." 1999]
family studies indicate vulnerability to schizophrenia is inherited
brain imaging may provide further clues
"Thanks to NIMH research, a number of new antipsychotic drugs, 'atypical antipsychotics' have been introduced since 1990. The first, clozapine (clozaril (R)), is more effective than older antipsychotics, although it has possible severe side effects, such as agranulocytosis - a loss of white blood cells that fight infection - that require patients to be frequently monitored with blood tests. The newer atypical medications, such as risperidone (Risperdal (R), quetiapine (Seroquel (R)), and olanzapine (Zyprexa(R)) are safer than the older drugs or clozapine and have fewer side effects, so they may be better tolerated by patients. NIMH is supproting clinical trials to further understand the role of atypical antipsychotics in treating schizophrenia." ["Schizophrenia Research At the National Institute of Mental Health." 1999]
schizophrenia may involve a defect in working memory (Rupp, 1998, p. 63)
