Insights into schizophrenia

Imagine what life would be like if you were unable go grocery shopping on your own, or you were to terrified use public transit, or you couldn’t handle a casual conversation on a street corner.

Those examples are some of the many manifestations of schizophrenia. According to the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia, schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder that makes it difficult to differentiate between real and imagined situations, to think logically, to have normal emotional responses or to behave normally in social situations.

Fortunately, much work is underway to develop cures or to minimize the complications for people with schizophrenia. Drs. David Gardner, Jason Morrison and Zenovia Ursuliak, all Dal faculty in the Department of Psychiatry, are three of the field’s leading researchers, having spent years working toward improving the quality of life for sufferers of mental illness.

The three recently spoke at the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia’s 23rd annual conference, held at the University Club on Friday, Nov. 4. The theme of this year’s conference was “Recovery.”

The role of medication

The first step in the recovery process is medication. Dr. Gardner, who is also a practicing clinical pharmacist with the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis program, stressed the importance of choosing the right medication for the right patient. Considerations include potential side effects and the need for supervision, as well as the cost of the medication. Side effects may range from weight gain to complications like diabetes.

“It’s important to look at the whole person, not just as someone with mental disorder,” says Dr. Gardner. “You have to be able to talk with doctors and pharmacists during the treatment with regards to all possible side effects.”

While medication is a viable treatment option, the importance of sound relationships during the cognitive behavioural therapy process—not just with friends and family, but with doctors, pharmacists and therapists—cannot be overlooked, notes Dr. Morrison, a staff psychiatrist with the Capital District Health Authority.

“Healthy relationships can bring a sense of normalcy to an otherwise challenging lifestyle,” says Dr. Morrison. “These relationships can also help establish routines and practices that are beneficial to the everyday functioning of the patient outside their treatment regimen.”  

Supporting wellness

While you and I may take for granted walking to the store to get some milk, for someone with schizophrenia, that exercise can be quite challenging.

Dr. Ursuliak, who is also a psychiatrist with the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program, has developed a wellness program for young adults with psychosis. She created the program during her 2007 fellowship year in psychotherapy at Dal. Her work earned an Eli Lilly Neurosciences Wellness Education grant and it proved quite successful in three trial runs.

Wellness programs help patients grow and develop independence apart from their treatment providers. They encourage and assist participants in accomplishing simple day-to-day tasks independently – those things that most of us take for granted, like grocery shopping, dealing with social situations and using public transit.

Dr. Ursuliak says wellness programs also include interviews where the participants' progress is monitored, and provide motivation to continue and improve. “Family and friends are crucial to these situations as they help to keep participants on task and grounded during a sometimes overwhelming process.”

Dr. Ursuliak went on to explain there are several signs that applicants are making successful recoveries, including a developing sense of empowerment, a sense of hope, and a general sense of well-being.  

The goal of wellness programs, she says, is “to create an intervention that promotes well-being through healthy lifestyles.”

Life with any mental disorder, especially schizophrenia can be overwhelming at the best of times; imagine the sense of relief that comes from being released from the grasp of its daily challenges.