Diagnosis and Treatments
Diagnosis
- Must meet the requirements in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to be diagnosed for schizophernia
- Must show at least two of these symptoms during one month period:
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Disorganised Speech
- Extremely disorganised behaviors
- Catatonic behavior
- Negative symptoms - reduced or lack of ability to function normally
- At least one symptom must be delusions, hallucinations, and disorganised speech
Treatment
- Requires lifelong treatment
- Medications and psychosocial therapy help manage condition
- hospitalisation may be necessary in time of severe symptoms
Medications
- Antipsychotic medicine is used
- Antipsychotics with lower risk of side effects:
- Aripiprazole
- Asenapine
- Clozapine
- Iloperidone
- Lurasidone
- Olanzapine
- Paliperidone
- Quetiapine
- Risperidone
- Ziprasidone
- Antipsychotics with frequent side effects
- Chlorpromazine
- Fluphenazine
- Haloperidol
- Perphenazine
Psychosocial Therapy
- Individual therapy - learn to cope with stress and identify early signs of relapse
- Social skills training - improves communication and social interactions
- Family therapy - provides support and education to families dealing with schizophrenia
- Vocational rehabilitation and supported employment - helps people with schizophrenia to find and keep jobs