Mental health schizophrenia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mental health schizophrenia - Essay Example These patients are usually confused about their medications, their discharge and their rights under the Act. The Act makes it mandatory for a patient to take his or her medication. But according to the Act the patient also has a right to know the type of medication he is on. If a patient is capable of making a sound decision and poses no threat to himself or the people around him, under the influence of a drug or medication, then that person cannot be detained as an involuntary patient. However, in most cases the patient is unaware of this fact and is forced to move into an institution. Hospitals and mental institutions are required to provide an interpreter to foreign patients who have trouble understanding English, so that when the patient’s rights are read to him he understands them properly. Most institutions are not equipped with such facilities and are the least bit bothered with what the patient understands (McCullough, 1992). Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental con dition where the patient is unaware of his environment and has trouble differentiating reality from fiction. The patient also suffers from lack of appropriate emotional response. Schizophrenic patients usually have to be taken care of by someone else as they are unable to perform event the simplest of tasks. Hallucinations and losing touch with reality is one of the major symptoms of schizophrenia. Loss of speech and poor hygiene are also common in schizophrenic patients. In some extreme cases the patient loses his ability to speak and makes no interaction with anyone. Schizophrenia usually strikes a person either in their early childhood or in their early adulthood, when the person is in his late teens or early twenties. Nurse management of schizophrenia A nurse has the ability to asses a mental patient. An interview with the patient shows the nurse all the symptoms the patient possesses. No emotions and inability to conversate properly are the first signs a nurse should look for i n a schizophrenic patient. Isolation and history of attempted suicide or violence lead to the conclusion that the patient might be a danger to himself and others. The nurse should see how much knowledge does a family has regarding schizophrenia, and if they have the ability to emotionally and physically support the patient. A recent survey showed that the trend for hiring nurses to take care of schizophrenic patients is rising. The author also believes that proper education, treatment and proper coping could help reduce the burden of the care provider. Mental health nurses also help the family to learn to live with the patient through family behavioral programs that in the end would contribute positively to the health of the patient. Moreover, the study suggests that for learning the true impact that nurses can have on patients more research must be put into this topic (Macleod et al., 2008). Treatments for the two patients For anxiety disorder the common medications are beta blocke rs, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications. The beta blockers are used to help patients control any involuntary movement that may occur. Antidepressants would help the patient cope with the depression that she feels. The antidepressants would put her mind in a state of calmness and counterbalance the effects of