Psy 410 Schizophrenia, Psychosis, and Lifespan Development

Schizophrenia, Psychosis, and Lifespan Development

PSY/410

October 8, 2012

Schizophrenia, Psychosis, and Lifespan Development

Humans go through different developmental stages in their lifespan. As is stage occurs, an individual’s development becomes more mature. Through the four stages (infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood) there are certain elements in which the individual has to master before mentally moving on to the next stage. If something abnormal happens during one of the stages the likely outcome is mental disorders such as psychosis or schizophrenia. There are biological, cognitive, and behavioral component the confusing disorders. Society has been disillusioned and undereducated by what schizophrenia actually is and how it can be treated. Psychosis and schizophrenia are mental disorders that research has said to be abnormalities in brain function or abnormalities in the neurotransmission of the brain (Hansell & Damour, 2008). Psychosis is a symptom that involves “loss of contact with normal reality” (Hansell & Damour, 2008, p. 459). Schizophrenia is the most frequent place in which psychosis is present. Schizophrenia is a frightening disorder, but it is also a disorder which is highly misunderstood by the general public. Genetic factors also play a large role in the development of schizophrenia. The evidence of this mental disorder being genetic was conducted in a research involving family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies. The result reflected that if a biological relative had the mental disorder, there was a 46% to 48% (Hansell & Damour, 2008, p. 481) chance that the disorder would occur in another biological relative. The environmental factors also play a role in the development of the disorder. Cognitive components also affect psychosis and or schizophrenia. Research has shown that an individual’s attention process or rather the attention can be a symptom of schizophrenia. Sometime this is referring to the over abundance of one’s attention. A person’s attention span is developed during the earlier lifespan stages. This is a sign of dopamine-related abnormalities. When this happens the individual is not able to focus on one thing, but rather his or her mind is spinning trying to keep up with everything the mind sees and hears. On the other side of this is under attention. The symptom of this is more of a withdrawal or apathy (Hansell & Damour, 2008). The attention problems are seen is the individual with the disorder, but it can also be seen in an individual who is a relative to the person diagnosed with the disorder. This leads researchers to believe that relatives to individuals with schizophrenia are vulnerable to the disorder (Hansell &Damour, 2008). Psychosis and schizophrenia have behavioral components. Individuals react differently with the disorder. Individuals with the disorder become socially withdrawn. Stress has a vast effect on schizophrenia. Whereas most people believe that individuals with schizophrenia are violent and have split personalities, it is not necessarily true. Individuals do not have multiply identities rather their mental functions are disrupted (Hansell & Damour, 2008). The majority of the individuals are also not dangerous (if they are receiving treatment). They are more prone to be inhibited rather than impulsive. Family behavior is also said to have an effect on schizophrenia. Double-bind communication and expressed emotions can contribute to the disorder. The ability to cope and live with schizophrenia depends on the ability to be diagnosed in the first place. The fact is that no one is certain what causes schizophrenia; the only way to treat the disorder is to focus on eliminating the symptoms of the disorder. The treatment process usually includes the use of antipsychotic medications and various psychosocial treatments (NIMH, 2011). Psychosocial treatments are not explored until after the antipsychotic medications are effective. Depending on what stage or lifespan development the individual is in will give a better understand of which treatment(s) will be soft effective. Schizophrenia is defined by the DSM-IV-TR as a “constellation of severe cognitive and behavioral symptoms lasting six or more months causing significant distress” (Hansell & Damour, 2008, p. 497). The stages of life can and do often affect the causes of mental disorders such as psychosis and schizophrenia. It is important for society to understand the real schizophrenia rather than the confusing pictures that are painted. Biological components, cognitive components, and behavior are vital aspect when trying to comprehend psychosis or schizophrenia.

References
Hansell, J. and Damour, L. (2008). Abnormal Psychology (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley
National Institute of Mental Health (NIHM). (2011). Schizophrenia. Retrieved from http://www.nih.gov

References: Hansell, J. and Damour, L. (2008). Abnormal Psychology (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley National Institute of Mental Health (NIHM). (2011). Schizophrenia. Retrieved from http://www.nih.gov