Psychosis and schizoid traits across the lifespan

Abnormal Psych-Lifespan Dev't.

What would it be like to have a serious mental illness or psychosis like schizophrenia? Think of being immensely afraid of everyday routines, such as going to the office or having coffee with friends. Think of living life inside a mind that could not distinguish between delusions or hallucinations from reality (Taylor, 1998). This paper will take a look into schizophrenia by describing its common characteristics and basic classifications but will first describe, briefly, the classifications of psychosis and lifespan development.

Psychosis and lifespan development. Patients who suffer from psychosis usually show symptoms in adolescence or early adulthood (Prinel, 2006) but are manifested in patients as early as childhood (Taylor, 1998). Serious mental illnesses are responsible for delaying, altering and even preventing the child from experiencing normal maturation and cognitive development (Taylor, 1998, 316). Though they are impaired intellectually, young schizophrenics do not fully develop their social cognitive skills, finding it difficult to express themselves and to socialize with others (Ibid, 316-317). Adults who suffer from psychosis may suffer from any of the following, as categorized by the DSM-IV (1994).

Patients with schizophreniform disorder and schizoaffective disorder suffer from mild schizophrenia. In schizophreniform disorder, however, patients are still able to function, socially and occupationally. As described by the DSM-IV, they show psychotic symptoms within 4 weeks when their usual functioning or behavior is altered and they will exhibit confusion or perplexity at the peak of their psychotic meltdown (American Psychiatric Assiociation, 1994).

Again, as explained by the DSM-IV, a person with schizoaffective disorder also expresses symptoms of schizophrenia but will also experience periods of either deep depression or unipolar illness or a mix of both mania and depression or bipolar illness (Taylor, 1998). During this time, hallucinations or delusions are present for 2 weeks, minimum (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Now, on to the mother of these disorders or schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is often linked to the idea of madness (Prinel, 2006). Schizophrenia targets about 1% of the world's population (Kring, Davison, Neale, Johnson, 2007). The idea of schizophrenia came about in the 19th century and is defined as: "the breakdown of integration among emotion, thought, and action" (Prinel, 2006, 449). A patient diagnosed with schizophrenia lacks the ability to communicate his emotions and will at times express inappropriate emotions (e.g. laughing when told of a death in his family while getting frustrated or angry when asked simple questions) (Kring, et al., 2007). A schizophrenic also exhibits disordered thinking, wherein his "ideas are not logically connected; faulty perception and attention" (Kring et al., 2007, 350). Furthermore, a schizophrenic experiences a disturbance in his movement or his behavior (Ibid). He may drag his feet while he walks or may often look messy or untidy (Ibid).

Schizophrenia can begin as early as infancy but more often starts during adolescence or early adulthood (Prinel, 2006, 449). It is communicated genetically but is also aggravated by environmental factors, such as stress (Kring, et al., 2006). Relatives of patients with schizophrenia are more predisposed to the disorder (Ibid). Further, they may not only have the same genes but may also share the same experiences (Ibid). Studies have shown that while schizophrenia may only affect 1% of the population, the incidence of inheriting this disorder rises to 10% among close biological relatives (i.e., in a parent, a child or a sibling) (Prinel, 2006, 450).

However, the development of schizophrenia is not attributed merely to genetic factors. Even though a person may be predisposed to the disorder, the environment in which he lives in plays a defining role in the activation of the disorder (Prinel, 2006). Family related factors, such as stress in the household may act as a trigger for the disorder (Kring, et al., 2007). A case in point, mothers who were characterized as "rejecting, overprotective, self-sacrificing, impervious to the feelings of others, rigid and moralistic to sex, and fearful of intimacy" were said to induce the development of schizophrenia (Kring, et al., 2007, 369).