This is a continuation from Part 1 of Mental Health Disorders and must be read as such. If only one article is read you will not have completed the course requirement. I concluded the part 1 with the topic of suicide. I am now continuing where I left off and begin with schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia: Affects 1 % of the population (2 million individuals) US.
Main definition: Loss of contact with reality. Note the difference between a neurotic and psychotic disorder. The important distinction is that a neurotic person knows that he is ill whereas a psychotic person does not believe he/she is ill. He/she believe that his voices / perceptions are real. The individual can lose much of his / her ability to rationally evaluate his surroundings and interactions with others.
Schizophrenic patients display a range of unusual behaviours which cause profound disruption in the lives of the patients suffering from the condition and in the lives of the people around then. Affects both males and females equally, all races and all social classes in all cultures.
Schizophrenia often first appears in men in their late teens or early twenties. In contrast, women are generally affected in their twenties or early thirties. Hallucinations and delusions are common; these distort the perceptions of reality for the schizophrenic patient. The visible behaviours may seem bizarre to the casual observer but are real to the patient. Nearly one-third of those diagnosed with schizophrenia will attempt suicide. About 10 percent of those with the diagnosis will commit suicide within 20 years of the beginning of the disorder.
Patients with schizophrenia are not likely to share their suicidal intentions with others, making life-saving interventions more difficult. The risk of depression needs special mention due to the high rate of suicide in these patients. The most significant risk of suicide in schizophrenia is among males under 30 who have some symptoms of depression and a relatively recent hospital discharge.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias (social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobia).
Approximately 40 million American adults ages 18 and older, or about 18.1 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with depressive disorders or substance abuse.
Most people with one anxiety disorder also have another anxiety disorder. Nearly three-quarters of those with an anxiety disorder will have their first episode by age 22
Approximately 6 million American adults ages 18 and older, or about 2.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have panic disorder
Panic disorder typically develops in early adulthood (median age of onset is 24), but the age of onset extends throughout adulthood.
About one in three people with panic disorder develops agoraphobia, a condition in which the individual becomes afraid of being in any place or situation where escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic attack.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Approximately 2.2 million American adults age 18 and older, or about 1.0 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have OCD
The first symptoms of OCD often begin during childhood or adolescence, however, the median age of onset is 19.
Approximately 7.7 million American adults age 18 and older, or about 3.5 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have PTSD.
PTSD can develop at any age, including childhood, but research shows that the median age of onset is 23 years. Usually happens after exposure to trauma.
Generalised Anxiety Disorders.
Approximately 6.8 million American adults or about 3.1 percent of people age 18 and over, have GAD in a given year. GAD can begin across the life cycle, though the median age of onset is 31 years old.
Social Phobias. About16 million US adults age 18 and over, or about 6.8 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have social phobias.
Social phobia begins in childhood or adolescence, typically around 13 years of age.
Agoraphobia. Agoraphobia involves intense fear and anxiety of any place or situation where escape might be difficult, leading to avoidance of situations such as being alone outside of the home; travelling in a car, bus, or airplane; or being in a crowded area. Median age is 20 years.
1.8 million American adults age 18 and over, or about 0.8 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have agoraphobia without a history of panic disorder
Specific Phobias. Specific phobia involves marked and persistent fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation.
Affects: 19.2 million American adults age 18 and over, or about 8.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have some type of specific phobia.
