PSYCHOTIC DISORDER Mental Health First Aid By Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2010

Introduction  Psychotic disorder are mental health problems that cause a person to lose some touch with reality  They can cause severe disturbance in behavior, thinking and emotions  It can disrupt a person’s life, relationships, work and self care  People experience psychotic episodes or psychosis  It is less common mental health problem

Phases of psychotic disorder  Premorbid phase: time before symptom starts  Prodrome phase: the symptoms are vague and hardly noticeable (may be mistaken for typical teenage behavior)  Acute phase: psychotic symptoms are experienced (hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking and behavior)  Recovery phase: with treatment, most people recover from mental illness. Some may have one episode and never experience again in life

Symptoms  Change in emotion and motivation  Change in thinking and perception  Change in behavior

In emotion and motivation  Depression  Mood swings  Increased anxiety  Suspiciousness, a constant feeling of being watched  Blunted or inappropriate emotions  Irrational, angry or fearful response to friends and family  Change in appetite  Reduced energy and motivation

In thinking and perception  Difficulties with concentration  Sense of alteration of self, others or the outside world  Inability to turn out their imagination, odd ideas  Unusual perceptional experiences  Inappropriate use of language – words which do not make sense to others  Difficulty controlling thoughts

In behavior  Sleep disturbance  Loss of appetite  Withdrawal from activities and social contact  Deterioration in studies and work  Deterioration on personal hygiene  Physical symptoms ( weakness, pains, bizarre body senses )  Sudden excesses

Early Intervention  Research shows that on average, people experiencing their first episode went untreated for almost three years  Begins in late adolescence or early adulthood  Symptoms are common to the age  Many young people will have same symptoms but may not develop psychosis  Factors influencing why psychosis remains untreated for long,  Social withdrawal  Poor social network  Stigma  Skill and knowledge of caregivers

Early Intervention (Contd …)  The longer the psychosis goes untreated, the poorer the outcome is  The person’s responsiveness, tends to decline with each successive episode  Treatment involves medication and other treatment  Other treatment include:  Family intervention  Cognitive behavior therapy  Group or individual psychotherapy  Any behavior, mood and thinking change should be taken seriously  Signs and symptoms vary from person to person and severity could fluctuate

Types of psychotic disorders  Schizophrenia  Schizoaffective disorder  Psychotic depression  Substance – induced psychotic disorder

Schizophrenia  Complex mental health problem  Affects the brain and has specific symptoms  Altered levels of neurotransmitters (eg dopamine and serotonin)  Schizophrenia = Schizo (split) + phrenia (mind)  A mind split from reality  Thoughts and perceptions become disordered  People can be effectively treated and are capable of living full and happy lives

Schizophrenia (Contd …)  About 1% of people develop schizophrenia in their lifetime  About 0.5 % to 1.5 % of the world population is reported to be with schizophrenia  Male are more affected than females  Occurs between late teens to mid 30s  For males – 18 – 25 years & Females – 25 years to 30 years  Symptoms vary from person to person

Symptoms of schizophrenia Positive symptoms  Positive do not mean good symptoms, it means thoughts or behavior that have been added  Hallucinations  Delusions Negative symptoms  Changes that diminish functioning  Loss of drive  Blunted emotions  Social withdrawal  Cognitive impairment

Other psychotic disorders  Schizoaffective disorder  More than one mental health problem  Both schizophrenia and mood disorder  Psychotic Depression  The person having depression may have delusions involving guilt, severe physical illness, persecution and hopelessness  Substance Induced psychotic disorders  Hallucinations and delusion due to substance use  Symptoms appear immediately and last until the effect of drugs  Drugs may be the sole cause of psychosis or sometimes may induce other mental health problems

Risk Factors  Genetic Factors  Biochemical Factors  Stress  Other factors  Head Injury  Complications during pregnancy  Problems of brain development during adolescence  Vitamin deficiency during pregnancy

Psychosis and substance use Alcohol  May cause alcohol induced psychosis  Alcohol interferes with antipsychotic medicines and hence has several side effects Cannabis  Cannabis contributes of development of schizophrenia in case of people who are a higher risk  Cannabis affects dopamine system  Affects short term memory, clouds clear thinking Hallucinogens  Extremely hazardous for people at risk Stimulants  People must avoid stimulants such as cocaine and caffeine

Thank you !!