Schizophrenia and personality disorders are emerging has some of the health problem disorders affecting a large population globally. Schizophrenia is a mental syndrome that is characterized through a collapse of thought processes as well as weakened emotional responses (Keefe &Addington, 2012). On the other hand, personality disorders are the various social conditions characterized through continuing maladaptive behavior patterns, inner experience and cognition, displayed in various circumstances and conflicting evidently from those that are culturally accepted. Whereas Schizophrenia is common among the young adults, personality disorders start to develop from early childhood, and are connected with considerable disability or distress. The two health conditions are similar in the sense that they are both mental disorders (Dowson & Grounds, 2006).
It is estimated that about 6% to 9% of the general population in the United States are suffering from personality disorders, and the figures are much higher globally(Dowson & Grounds, 2006).On the other hand, more than 24 million individuals globally have been affected by schizophrenia (Remschmidt, 2000). In addition, medical professionals argue that these disorders exist in various forms, and their effect on relational functioning differs from mild to severe. Further investigations have indicated that the disorders are very common among prisoners, with up to 50% of the prisoners in suffering from the same. Moreover, a large part of individuals hospitalized for personality disorders are the young adults, up to 78%.Unfortunately, it is worrying to note that, as per the World Health Organization, most population suffering from personality disorders and schizophrenia, especially in the third world countries, are not receiving appropriate care (WHO, 2013).
The causes of the schizophrenia and personality disorders have not been clearly established. However, health professionals generally argue that mixtures of genetic and environmental elements are the major contributory factors of these disorders.It is approximated that individuals of a family background of schizophrenia have up to a 40% chance of suffering from the same problem in the course of their life(Grohol, 2013).The probability of suffering from schizophrenia is even much higher for children whose both parents are suffering from the same. In addition to genetics and environmental factors, personality disorders are likely to result from factors such as previous brain infections such as encephalitis or meningitis, previous head injury, birth injury, as well as physically and/or emotionally abusive childhood.
It is imperative to note there different types of personality disorders, and each of them have different symptoms, although they also have common symptoms. Some of the personality disorders include paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, schizotypal disorder, antisocial personality disorder, borderline disorder, histrionic disorder, avoidant disorder, narcissistic disorder, dependent disorder, and obsessive-compulsive (anankastic) disorder (Maj, Akiskal&Mezzich, 2005). Some of the common symptoms of these disorders include: poor impulse control, difficulty in making friends, angry outbursts, a need for prompt gratification, suspicion and mistrust of others, social isolation, stormy relationships, and frequent mood swings. On the other hand, the common symptoms of schizophrenia include: depression, hallucinations, insomnia, hostility or suspiciousness, social withdrawal, flat expressionless gaze, inappropriate laughter or crying, as well as extreme reaction to criticism. A point to note is that sometimes it is challenging for diagnosis of the exact personality disorder or even schizophrenia because of the overlapping symptoms. Therefore, it may take a long period of time before discovering the exact problem, which means a series of tests have to be carried out (Remschmidt, 2000).
Treatment of personality disorders depends on the type of disorder, its severity, as well as the life situation of an individual. On the other hand, considering the causes of schizophrenia are not well known, treatments are aimed are eliminating the symptoms of the disease rather than the disease itself. Nevertheless, the two disorders are treated through psychotherapy as well as medication. In the case of personality disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and psychodynamic psychotherapy are applied in dealing with the symptoms of disorders(Dingfelder, 2004). Therapeutic communities are also applied in some cases. These are a form of group therapy, where the practice of suffering from a personality disorder is discussed in depth. In addition to these kind of therapies, psychosocial treatments, illness management skills, integrated treatment for co-occurring substance abuse, and rehabilitation are also used in treating schizophrenia. In terms medication, schizophrenia is treated using antipsychotic medications, which have been in use for several decades now. Although medication can be prescribed to deal problems associated with personality disorder, no medication has been licensed to treat the specific personality disorders (Grohol, 2013).
In conclusion, schizophrenia and personality disorders are emerging as the major public health issues throughout the world. The disorders, which have high prevalence among the young adults, are caused by genetic and environmental factors.They also have different symptoms, although there are various common symptoms. Whereas the two disorders could be treated with therapy, medication for treating the specific symptoms is yet to be found, and as of now only the symptoms can be treated medically.
References
Bhugra, D. (2005) “The Global Prevalence of Schizophrenia.”Journal of Med. Vol. 2(5)
Dingfelder, F.S. (2004). Treatment for the ‘untreatable’.American Psychological Association, Vol 35, No. 3: 46-49
Dowson, J. H., & Grounds, A. (2006).Personality disorders: Recognition and clinical management. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Grohol, J.M. (2013) Schizophrenia Treatment. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx31t.htm
Keefe, R. S. E., &Addington, J. (2012).Guide to assessment scales in schizophrenia. London: Springer Healthcare.
Maj, M., Akiskal, H. S., &Mezzich, J. (2005).Personality Disorders.Chichester: John Wiley & Sons
Remschmidt, H. (2000). Schizophrenia in children and adolescents. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
WHO (2013).Mental Health. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mental_health/management/schizophrenia/en/
