ELC231: READING (WEEK 9)

NAME: LYANE SANGGAE (2021107395)

Schizophrenia: A Mental Illness

I According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2021), schizophrenia is a chronic and
severe mental disorder affecting 20 million people worldwide. It is also known as a chronic
brain disorder that has symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and disorganised speech.
People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality, which causes
significant distress for the individual, their family members, and friends. If left untreated, the
symptoms of schizophrenia can be persistent and disabling. People with schizophrenia are
more likely to die younger than the general population because of co-occurring conditions such
as cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, and infections. Schizophrenia is very often a
result of stress and develops gradually. There are many symptoms and causes of those suffering
from schizophrenia and thus, it is very important to start early treatment of the disease.
II The first symptom of schizophrenia is hallucination. There are different types of
hallucination in a patient suffering from schizophrenia. The most common is auditory
hallucination such as hearing noises and voices. Most of the voices 15 are usually unhealthy,
dismissive, and mean. Another type of hallucination is visual hallucination which involves
seeing objects, people, lights, or patterns that do not seem to truly exist. It also includes
visualising dead loved ones, friends, or people they knew. Meanwhile, olfactory hallucination
involves the sense of smell or taste that are not present. Finally, tactile hallucination 20 involves
an abnormal or false sensation of touch, or perception of movement on the skin or inside the
body.
III The second symptom is paranoid delusions which are extremely common in schizophrenia,
occurring in more than 90% of those who have the disorder. Firstly, delusion of grandeur is the
belief that one is simply a well-known or important figure. People experiencing delusion of
grandeur see themselves as great, highly accomplished, more important than others or even
magical. Secondly, people with delusions of control believe that one's thoughts or actions are
being controlled by outside forces. Lastly, somatic delusion is a type of delusion that appears
when people believe they have an illness or their bodies are affected by a strange condition.
IV Apart from that, disorganised speech is also one of the symptoms of schizophrenia.
According to Hurly (2021 ), disorganised speech is characterised by a collection of speech
abnormalities that can make schizophrenia patients' verbal communication difficult or
impossible to comprehend. Losing associations, also known as cognitive disorganisation, is a
condition where they rapidly shift between topics with no connections between other topics.
When cognitive disorganisation is severe, comprehending what they are saying might be too
difficult for listeners. Another form of disorganised speech is neologisms, a condition where
words or phrases only have meaning to them. Next, schizophrenia sufferers might have
perseverance conditions. Perseveration is the repetition of a particular response and he tends to
repeat the same things repeatedly.
V Another symptom of schizophrenia is disorganisation in behaviour that negatively impacts
goal-directed behaviour (Hurly, 2021 ). Disorganised behaviour can vary from being childlike
and silly to aggressive and violent. This type of symptom can also involve excessive
movements, unusual actions, freezing in place, or not responding to instructions or
communication. People having disorganised behaviour may not be able to carry out routine
tasks, such as taking care of personal hygiene. They may have unpredictable or inappropriate
emotional responses to others, and this may involve avoiding eye contact or speaking in a
monotone. To conclude the exact symptom of schizophrenia isn't known. But like cancer and
diabetes, schizophrenia is a real illness with a biological basis.
VI One of the causes of schizophrenia is genetics which constitutes a crucial risk factor to
people suffering from schizophrenia. According to the National Institute of Mental Health,
schizophrenia can run in families, which means a greater chance to have schizophrenia may be
passed on from parents to their children. Deletions or duplications of genetic material have
been found as causes of schizophrenia. For instance, a minor loss on chromosome 22 has been
associated with schizophrenia. Those who have this deletion are 1 Oto 20 times more likely to
develop schizophrenia than the overall population. Other than that, if a child has one parent
who has symptoms of schizophrenia, the child's chances of developing the disorder is
approximately between 8% to 15%. For a child who has both parents with schizophrenia
disorder, he or she has a 40% chance of developing this disorder.
VII In addition, researchers have found that children who have experienced severe trauma
are three times as likely to develop schizophrenia later in life. Abuse or severe bullying may
be associated with an increased risk of psychotic symptoms, particularly if it is repeated.
Furthermore, stress also can provoke 70 episodes in people who are already suffering from
schizophrenia symptoms. For instance, for those who suffer from paranoid delusions, entering
a crowded place, such as a shopping mall or bustling streets, can trigger paranoid delusions. A
combination of trauma, genetics, and other factors may increase the causes of schizophrenia.
VIII Schizophrenia sufferers will have high chances of improving if their conditions are
detected early. Even though antipsychotic medications like Aripiprazole, Clozapine,
Olanzapine, and Risperidene can be taken, these drugs do not cure schizophrenia. However,
they help to relieve the most troubling symptoms, including delusions, hallucinations, and
thinking problems. Since stress can 80 cause psychosis and increase schizophrenia symptoms,
it is also important to keep it under control. In order to manage the symptoms and treat
schizophrenia, it is vital for the sufferers to interact with the doctors and therapists.
Furthermore, joining a schizophrenia support group might help them to meet other people who
are facing similar issues. Schizophrenia is a 85 long-term condition that can have a profound
impact on people's abilities to function in life. People with schizophrenia will definitely benefit
from the support of their family, friends, and community services.

Adapted from: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-disorders/schizophrenia-treatment-

andself-help/
QUESTION 1
Provide ONE (1) word with similar meaning as used in the passage for the following words?
a) persistent (Paragraph I): determined / consistent/ continuous
b) rapidly (Paragraph IV) : quickly
c) responses (Paragraph V) : reaction
d) relieve (Paragraph VIII) : alleviate / soothe

QUESTION 2
State whether the following statements are TRUE (T) or FALSE (F).
a) Schizophrenia is a mental illness that has various types of symptoms including
delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech. (TRUE (T)
b) People having disorganised behaviour behave aggressively and violently. (FALSE (F)
c) According to research, children have a higher chance of getting schizophrenia from
their parents. (TRUE (T)
d) Medications alone like antipsychotics are the only treatment to help those suffering
from this illness. (FALSE (F)

QUESTION 3
All the following are TRUE about schizophrenia except (circle two (2) answers)
i) Olfactory hallucinations are feelings of movement or sensation on your body.
ii) People with schizophrenia are likely to die younger because of co-occurring
conditions.
iii) Early detection of schizophrenia is better known to help prevent the problem from
escalating.
iv) A schizophrenic person with disorganized behaviour may still be able to take care
of their personal hygiene.
QUESTION 4
List and describe (2) types of delusions faced by people with schizophrenia.
Firstly, delusion of grandeur is the belief that one is simply a well – known or important figure.
People experiencing delusion of grandeur see themselves as great, highly accomplished, more
important than others or even magical. Secondly, people with delusions of control believe that’s
one thoughts or actions are being controlled by outside forces.

QUESTION 5
Identify two (2) ways disorganised speech can affect a person's verbal communication.
Losing associations, also known as cognitive disorganization is a condition where they rapidly
shift between topics with no connections between other topics. Another form of disorganised
speech is neologisms, a condition where words or phrases only have meaning have
perseverance conditions. Perseverance is the repetition of a particular response and he tends to
repeat the same things repeatedly.

QUESTION 6
Give two (2) reasons why genetics are the most significant risk factor of schizophrenia.
Deletions or duplications of genetic material have been found as causes of schizophrenia. For
instance, a minor loss on chromosome 22 has been associated with schizophrenia. Other than
that, if a child has one parent who symptoms of schizophrenia the child’s chances of developing
the disorder is approximately between 8% to 15%.

QUESTION 7
Paraphrase the following statement.
"Researchers have found that children who have experienced severe trauma are three times as
likely to develop schizophrenia later in life" (Paragraph VII)
Studies have indicated that excessive physical abuse psychotic episodes or schizophrenia.
QUESTION 8
"Schizophrenia sufferers will have high chances of improving if their conditions are detected
early." (Paragraph VIII).
What can you infer from the statement?
Schizophrenia can be controlled from becoming worse with early detection and treatment.

QUESTION 9
Give two (2) reasons why treatments are important in treating schizophrenia.
They help to relieve the most troubling symptoms including delusions, hallucinations and
thinking problems. Besides that, help them to meet other people who are facing similar issues.

QUESTION 10
In your opinion, do you agree that the living condition of people suffering from schizophrenia
can be improved? Provide two (2) reasons to justify your answer.
No, I disagree because it is genetic and those who are born with it need to learn to live with it
as it also requires lifelong treatment and medication.

END OF QUESTION PAPER