Schizophrenia Case Study
Introduction
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder whereby individuals abnormally interpret reality. It affects how a person feels, thinks, and behaves. Schizophrenia’s diagnosis is made if a person starts to experience hallucinations, delusions, or disoriented speech for at least one month. Therapeutic communication is important for people with this condition because it contributes to the nurse-patient interaction and relationship. Schizophrenia is treated with a combination of medications and therapy.
Scenario 1
The assessments that should be conducted are the coping styles of the patient. This is because denial coping occurs when patients report the refusal to admit that a stressor exists. Schizophrenia patients have a limited range of coping styles hence the reason for the assessments (Holubova et al 2015). Patients who refuse to believe and admit that they are ill will not be motivated to learn more about the illness and therefore will not take the recommended precaution. Using the denial coping strategies, the patient will get awareness about the condition that they are ignoring. Getting more knowledge about recognition and acceptance of their condition will make them more informed and this will lead to better decisions concerning treatment.
Scenario 2
In therapeutic communication with a person with schizophrenia, I will use my high level of self-knowledge, be honest, authentic, and have empathy for the person. I will approach the person in a calm and caring manner to make them feel comfortable and feel they're in a safe environment (Pinho, Pereira & Chaves 2017). Active listening will enable me to focus on the person’s experiences and be honest to them by letting them know that what they are experiencing is real. Authenticity is important since the person will be able to distinguish between what is part of the disease and what is not. I will let the person understand the symptoms and difficulties they are having and their need to cooperate. Then I will let the person know all the possibilities available for recovery. To enhance cognitive deficits, I will develop interventions that target specific deficits. For example, for the person to be able to focus, I will encourage them to choose activities that improve attention such as computer games which will help in concentration. For memory issues, I will encourage the person to write down all the important information and this will help them to remember.
Scenario 3
The fastest weight gain with olanzapine medication occurs within the first six months but this differs from person to person. It can continue after the six months but at a slower rate. This is because the drugs increase sugar and fat levels in the blood. Weight gain is more likely experienced by people during the earlier stages of their treatment. The olanzapine causes weight gain by stimulating appetite making a person feel hungry leading to more calorie intake. The medication also causes some people to crave for sweet or fatty food. These drugs may add a person’s weight but they are effective when it comes to treating the schizophrenia symptoms (Dayabandara et al.2017). Instead of discontinuing the effective medication, we could use the lifestyle approaches to manage the weight gain. This will include changing the diet, eating behaviors, and exercising.
Conclusion
Schizophrenia has a great impact on how a person feels, thinks, and behaves. For a person who denies that they are suffering from the condition, their coping styles should be assessed and coping strategies should be used to enable the person to be aware of the condition. Knowing how to handle a person with schizophrenia through therapeutic communication is important because it helps with the interaction process. People who are being treated using schizophrenia drugs tend to experience weight gain and decide to discontinue the medication. Because the drugs are effective, lifestyle changes could be used to control weight gain.
References
Dayabandara, M., Hanwella, R., Ratnatunga, S., Seneviratne, S., Suraweera, C., & de Silva, V.
- (2017). Antipsychotic-associated weight gain: management strategies and impact on treatment adherence. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 13, 2231–2241. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S113099
Holubova, M., Prasko, J., Hruby, R., Kamaradova, D., Ociskova, M., Latalova, K., & Grambal,
- (2015). Coping strategies and quality of life in schizophrenia: cross-sectional study. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 11, 3041–3048. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S96559
Pinho, L. G. D., Pereira, A., & Chaves, C. (2017). Nursing interventions in Schizophrenia: the
importance of therapeutic relationship. Nurse Care Open Acces J, 3(6), 00090. Retrieved from https://medcraveonline.com/NCOAJ/nursing-interventions-in-schizophrenia-the-importance-of-therapeutic-relationship.html
