Ask Dr. Tayo... Hogarth Hippolytes question about treatment for his son who has Schizophrenia has been responded to by Dr. Tayo. Dear Hogarth, Thank you for sharing your experience with mental illness. Schizophrenia could be a very debilitating illness but it also tends to occur along a spectrum. This spectrum ranges from people who could function quite well with minimal medication and added psychotherapy, to those who are completely incapacitated despite optimal treatment. There are several factors that contribute to a patients baseline level of functioning once diagnosed with the illness (and with optimum treatment) such as the age of onset of the disorder, how long the disorder had been active before treatment was commenced, the presence of certain symptoms etc. So now to answer your question, there are other modes of treatment besides medication. These include various forms of psychotherapy (talk therapy) and psychotherapeutic techniques. Examples would include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Social Skills Training. But for people diagnosed with Schizophrenia that have low levels of functioning, these forms of therapy might not be very useful as they require that patients be actively engaged with the Therapist. This is difficult for these patients to do. Also, psychotherapy is a labour intensive form of therapy and resources for it tend to be poor in developing countries. These and other factors tend to guide Mental Health Professionals in the treatment of Schizophrenia. I hope I have answered your question.-- Dr. Tayo (Eric Williams Medical Complex.Mt. Hope) Please note that APMHC is an educational and engaging forum geared to reduce Mental Illness Stigma. If you have any health concerns please see your General Practitioner. For Trinidadians interested in contacting Dr. Tayo - he is at the Eric Williams Medical Complex, Mt. Hope, his clinic hours are Mondays and Wednesdays, Psychiatry Department.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 02:08:09 +0000
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