Paranoid schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that encapsulates a myriad of symptoms, including various states of psychosis and disorganized thought, speech, and behavior. Its etiology has not been ascertained, but evidence suggests a genetic role in its development. Those afflicted with schizophrenia can expect increased debilitation with age, as its course tends toward deterioration over time. This case study focuses on the vicissitudes and tribulations faced by a homeless veteran as a result of schizophrenia. This individual receives social services at a local clinic.
Homelessness is often comorbidly associated with schizophrenia and both present a number of moral and social considerations that should be addressed. These include chronic paranoia, noncompliance with medications, inability to maintain employment and stable residence, and the health and safety issues that accompany being homeless. This paper concentrates on the emergence of social issues that are secondary to this veteran's diagnosis of schizophrenia.
[...] There appears to be no greater likelihood of developing schizophrenia in any one race or ethnicity. ETIOLOGY AND MANIFESTATION As previously mentioned, schizophrenia is one of the more serious and severe mental illnesses, as it can be extremely debilitating and damaging to one's quality of life. Its etiology is unknown, however there are several different theories. One is that schizophrenia is genetically inherited. This theory is somewhat enforced as valid by the phenomenon of the Genain quadruplets (Mirsky, A. F., DeLisi, L. E., Buchsbaum, M. S., Quinn, O. W., Schwerdt, P., Siever, L. [...]
[...] P., Van Kximmen, E. J, & Qoran, S., 2000). They found the father of the siblings to be “irritable, abusive, and intrusive” (p. 699, 2000). In addition, both his mother and the sisters' mother had also suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, further suggesting a strong genetic vulnerability. It is further speculated that birth complications may have contributed to the significant differences in the presentations of schizophrenia displayed by each sibling. Two of the siblings were, neurologically speaking, more intact, whereas the remaining two were more damaged (2000). [...]
[...] He has never married and has no children. While “S” is independent with his ADL's and capable of taking proper physical care of himself, he has been struggling for almost 30 years with chronic paranoid delusions that significantly impair his ability to function effectively throughout his daily life. This chronic paranoia also prevents him from maintaining a stable residence. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION “S” presented to the Psychiatric Emergency Room at the clinic in 2001 with an intense paranoid fear that others are out to kill him and that the police are after him and claims that they will “cut me with knives”. [...]
[...] The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, schizophrenia and PET. Journal of Neural Transmission, 37, 79-93. Mirsky, A. F., DeLisi, L. E., Buchsbaum, M. S., Quinn, O. W., Schwerdt, P., Siever, L. J., et al. (1984). The Genain Quadruplets: psychological studies. Psychiatry Research, 13, 1, 77 – 93. Mirsky, A. F., Linos, A., Bieliauskas, L. M., French, D. P., Van Kximmen, E. J, & Qoran, S. (2000). A 39 year follow-up of the Genain quadruplets. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 26, 3, 699 – 708. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). [...]
[...] DSM-IV DIAGNOSIS • Axis I: 295.3 Schizophrenia; paranoid type, chronic. • Axis II: deferred • Axis III: Diabetes Mellitus, type II; 304.9 nicotine dependency • Axis IV: Chronic mental illness, chronic medical condition, homelessness, poor compliance, inability to handle and retain money. • Axis V: 40 JUSTIFICATION FOR DIAGNOSIS/DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS Axis II mental disorders were also considered, in addition to schizophrenia, when making “S”'s diagnosis. For instance, his odd behaviors and thoughts were suggestive of schizotypal personality disorder, whereas his tendency to isolate himself socially suggested schizoid personality disorder. [...]
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