“People living with schizophrenia often suffer from stigmatization, discrimination, and violation of their human rights, both in mental health institutions and in communities. This can limit their access to general healthcare, education, housing, and employment.”
Schizophrenia is an alteration in brain function.
“It is a severe mental disorder characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, self-awareness, and behavior. Some of the most common experiences are hallucinations (hearing voices or seeing things that do not exist) and delusions (persistent false beliefs).”
In general, schizophrenia is associated with significant impairments and can affect educational and occupational performance. In Mexico, it is estimated that more than one million people live with schizophrenia.
Removing Stigmas of Violence
“One of the most deeply rooted myths about people with schizophrenia is that they can be violent and aggressive. The reality is that proper treatment, done with discipline, gives the patient the possibility of stabilizing and living an almost normal life.”
People suffering from schizophrenia need lifelong treatment. Usually, the patient requires a combination of pharmacological treatments, in this case, antipsychotics, and psychotherapy. “The sooner you receive treatment, the greater the chances of responding well and recovering previous levels of functionality.”
Treatment can only work if followed as indicated by the healthcare professional. Stopping or taking medication irregularly increases the risk of relapses. Most patients (8 out of 10) will experience a relapse of the disease between 6 months and 2 years after stopping antipsychotic medication.
“The consequences of relapses in schizophrenia can be quite severe: lack of independence, loss of control, and loss of skills. Additionally, successive relapses tend to be increasingly severe and take longer to improve. For this reason, in recent years, new scientific approaches have focused on developing longer-acting atypical antipsychotics. The goal is to make treatment easier to follow and more comfortable for patients.”
The psychiatrist must emphasize that “it is important for family members and caregivers to try to incorporate the patient into social activities that make them leave the house, encourage them to enjoy their hobbies and their circle of friends. Remember that a person with schizophrenia is not aggressive when properly adhering to their medication. There is no reason to fear them and make them victims of isolation and discrimination.”
Depression Exacerbated Due to COVID-19
As a result of the health contingency derived from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are facing one of the greatest mental health crises known in history.
“Factors such as confinement, the lack of personal interaction with family and friends, fear and uncertainty, the loss of loved ones, employment, and one’s own health, have led numerous families and individuals to financial and emotional catastrophe.”
In Mexico, according to the COVID-19 Monitoring Survey on the Well-being of Mexican Families (ENCOVID-19), 27.3% of people over 18 showed depressive symptoms, and 32.4% showed severe anxiety symptoms.