Mental Illness: Violence, Inherited and Incurable Illness… Understand all about Schizophrenia

From March 16 to 23, 2024, on the occasion of Schizophrenia Days, Dr. Alpes-Iser Hospital Center (CHAI) and Schizophrenia Specialist Center (FondaMental Foundation) Sylvain Lagnier participates in the TRUE/FALSE game.

• Schizophrenia is a personality disorder. fake

Dr. Sylvain Legnier : This stereotype is conveyed through novels and cinema, such as Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Psychosis”. No, schizophrenia is not a personality disorder in the sense of split personality. It is a distinct disease that does not fit this description, and progresses in stages.

• Schizophrenia is a rare disease. fake

About 1% of the population in France is affected by the disease, or about 670,000 people. It is believed that only two-thirds of those affected are diagnosed. Schizophrenia is considered relatively common, as it exceeds the prevalence threshold that defines rare diseases, which is 1 person per 2000.

• Schizophrenia is a hereditary disease. true and false.

Hereditary genetic factors are one of the risk factors for schizophrenia, but they are not the only ones. They must often be accompanied by other factors to contribute to the development of the disease.

• Schizophrenia is an incurable disease. true and false

Although a cure is not possible, “recovery” is a real possibility, that is, the possibility of living with persistent symptoms or some impairment but still having a very good quality of life. Our goal is to reduce disability, increase retained skills and acquire new skills. It’s about overcoming adversity and living an interesting personal and social life, and doing it in a dignified way.

• People with schizophrenia can manage their symptoms without medication. true and false.

Antipsychotic treatment is one of the pillars of drug treatment. But available drugs mainly work on positive symptoms of schizophrenia (delusions and hallucinations), while they have little effect on disorganization and negative symptoms (lack of emotional expression, behavior and motivation). They also do not treat the cognitive disorders present in two-thirds of people.

Schizophrenia is often accompanied by other comorbidities, such as sleep problems, anxiety, addiction, or even obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In these cases, in addition to antipsychotic treatments, melatonin can be used to improve sleep quality and duration and antidepressants in cases of anxiety or depressive disorders.

A non-drug approach can be combined; Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), for example. They specifically aim to modify dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors associated with the disease. This can improve negative and positive symptoms, and help people develop skills to cope with stress and live with some resistant symptoms. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can act on hallucinations. Changes in habits are also beneficial (sleep quality, stress reduction and improvement in emotional and communication skills, physical activity, social relationships, leisure activities, minimally processed foods and limiting sugar intake).

• People with schizophrenia are violent and unpredictable. fake

Studies show that people with schizophrenia do not commit more acts of violence than the general population. On the other hand, and this is little known, people suffering from schizophrenia are often victims of acts of violence. Stigma and self-stigma, financial insecurity and social isolation are often associated with psychological disorders, and the lack of support and networks for these people makes them more vulnerable and less able to claim their rights, seek and receive the help they need.

• People with schizophrenia cannot lead a “normal” social and professional life. fake

People suffering from schizophrenia can fully integrate into society. Schizophrenia is not a sentence for the collapse of life. It is not a question of denying the difficulties, but of defending the possibility of living with the symptoms, or even overcoming them and creating a fulfilling and satisfying life. Although stigma persists and certain barriers remain (access to leisure, employment), many people with schizophrenia manage to lead active lives in society. In the absence of specific figures in France, studies conducted in other countries estimate that only 20% of them work.