Schizophrenia, a severe brain disorder, is a chronic illness that can impact a person for life once diagnosed. Although there is no known cause of this disorder research suggests that it may be a chemical imbalance that happens in the brain with excessive stress or substance abuse. The imbalance that occurs affects the emotions, motivations, movements, and the patient’s entire experience of the world around them. The messages that the brain produces get tangled and brings on the symptoms of Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia symptoms come in two categories positive and negative symptoms. Some of the positive symptoms are delusions of the brain, hallucinations of the five senses, and disorganized speech and behaviors. Negative symptoms include lack of drive for bathing, grooming, or getting dressed, social withdraw, apathy, and emotional detachment. Suicide is common (About Schizophrenia, 2012).
Target population, data, and impact Men and women are equally affected by schizophrenia; however, symptoms begin earlier in life for men than women. Men tend to develop symptoms in late teens or early 20s. For women the symptoms tend to start in their 20s and 30s. According to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (2012), “Statistics indicate that schizophrenia affects 2.7 million Americans. A child born into a family with one or more schizophrenic family member has a greater chance of developing schizophrenia than a child born into a family with no history of schizophrenia.” This disease ranks in the top 10 causes for disability. Studies show that 51 million people around the world suffer with Schizophrenia. Anti-psychotic medications are used as a treatment method. If the medication is stopped there is a high possibility for a relapse within two years (Schizophrenia Facts and Statistics, 2010).
Affects and challenges on Health care
Approximately 200,000 people suffering with schizophrenia are homeless. Therefore, these people receive little to no care because of their financial status. 90,000 suffers are hospitalized for treatment; however, there are more on the streets of America going without the needed medications to keep the psychosis episodes under control (Schizophrenia Facts and Statistics, 2010).
Schizophrenia is considered the most chronic and costly mental illness affecting society. The costs for direct treatment, welfare payments, and family add up to about $63 billion a year. Most patients are not able to work so the costs are transferred to public assistance programs such as Medicaid and burn up tax dollars. Left untreated there is a high suicidal risk for these patients. Hospitals, jails, and shelters are the resting place for these suffers (Schizophrenia Facts and Statistics, 2010).
Wellness program Early diagnosis, treatments, and intervention for schizophrenia are the key elements for a wellness program. Treatment of the total health of the sufferer is just as important to the disease treatment as focusing on the diagnosis itself. To boost the self esteem of these patients, they need a strong support team that understands them and their disease process. Medication is not the only treatment for this mental illness, psychotherapy, social skills training, and physical activity should also be incorporated into the wellness program.
Marketing and Service The most common reason for a relapse of symptoms is stopping the medications that control the psychotic episodes. The majority of people respond well with anti-psychotic medications; however, there are a few that do not. Long-term follow-up care for all sufferers is essential to keep this illness under control. One service needed for providing long-term care for these patients is a treatment facility with specialized physicians with the knowledge of severe mental illness. Along with the knowledgeable physicians, patient will also need treatment options that are affordable. Health insurance that covers most or all of