Schizophrenia affects young people - at the time of diagnosis, the statistical patient is only 27 years old. Then, it causes dramatic changes in the lives of most patients, as it excludes them from family, social and professional life. If not treated properly, schizophrenia can even lead to premature death. This is the result of the report "Schizophrenia - a social perspective. The situation in Poland".
Schizophreniaismental illness , from which 1% of patients suffer. of our society, or about 400,000 people. Most of them are young people, as the disease most often appears between the ages of 18 and 35 (a statistical patient is only 27 at the time of diagnosis). Then schizophrenia causes dramatic changes in their lives.
Marking a patient with the stigma of schizophrenia leads to perceiving him as unable to properly fulfill social and professional roles and, consequently, to exclusion from family and social life, as well as from the labor market. According to the report of the Polish Psychiatric Association, the Mental He alth Foundation and the Institute of He alth Protection - "Schizophrenia - a social perspective. The situation in Poland", in 2010, at the time of diagnosis, 47 percent. of people were still working, and at the time of diagnosis, as many as 72 percent had lost their jobs. of them.
In 2010, the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) in Poland allocated PLN 940.537 million for benefits related to inability to work due to schizophrenia (in 98% of cases it was disability pensions). At the same time, the NHF spent around PLN 450 million on treating patients.
Hospitalization had the greatest impact on job loss - along with the increase in their number, the percentage of patients who became unemployed increased. Working patients who were hospitalized five or more times in 93 percent. cases lost their jobs. In patients with less than twice the number of hospitalizations, almost half of them maintained their employment status. Most of those who lose their jobs go on a disability pension. Only 5 percent are employed. patients with schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia - integrated therapy is necessary
- Schizophrenia is a severe brain disease, where each psychotic episode is associated with damage to the gray and white matter - says prof. Bartosz Łoza, President-elect of the Polish Psychiatric Association. Therefore you cannotallow for subsequent relapses, and the way to do this is effective treatment, which should be started as early as possible.
Pharmacotherapy is the basic method of treating schizophrenia - emphasizes prof. Aneta Szulc, head of the Psychiatric Clinic of the Medical University of Warsaw - and adds that this type of treatment has a neuroprotective effect. This means that it prevents further psychotic episodes, and thus - protects the brain from further degradation. Moreover, it shortens the hospitalization time and reduces their number.
Currently, the patient can be administered drugs (called neuroleptics) in the form of tablets or injections - the so-called long-acting neuroleptics, which are injected every 2-4 weeks. The latter are the most effective, as they improve cooperation with a physician and allow compliance with his recommendations in patients with schizophrenia. It is very important because - as Prof. Loz - as much as 40 percent of them do not buy drugs at all after discharge from the hospital (this is mainly due to the fact that the patient is usually unaware that he is sick), and after 30 days, less than half of them are taking them. Therefore, sooner or later the psychotic episode comes back. - Within a month, 1/5 of patients return to the hospital - says the psychiatrist. And with each subsequent episode, the chances of the patient's return to normal life become smaller and smaller. Unfortunately, in Poland, access to modern drugs is limited. The two newest long-acting neuroleptics are not reimbursed.
Pharmacotherapy is the basis for the treatment of schizophrenia, but specialists emphasize that in order for the therapy to be effective, it should be multifactorial. In addition to drugs, elements of integrated therapy should also include early intervention and rehabilitation centers, family therapy and community therapy, as well as social and professional support. In the latter case, the assistance of a Supported Employment coach would be useful. The so-called a job trainer would support the patient in the entire process of professional activation - from the moment of looking for a job, to the very employment, and even in keeping the job.
Such arranged therapy focuses on "supporting" the patient in social and professional roles and at the same time enables him to help in a medical sense. In addition, it allows you to reduce the costs of NFZ and ZUS.
Schizophrenia can be fatal
- Schizophrenia is a fatal disease in the sense that it shortens life by up to 15-25 years - explains prof. Bartosz Łoza. People with schizophrenia live shorter lives than people with HIV and most cancers, adds the psychiatrist. All because the next bout of the disease leads to irreversible damage to the brain. Moreoverthe likelihood of premature death increases the coexistence of somatic diseases in schizophrenics. Research shows that schizophrenics are obese 4 times more often than the general population. In turn, 15 percent. of them are diabetic compared to 6%. people in the general population. It should also be noted that patients with schizophrenia are less likely to have an earlier diagnosis of ischemic heart disease and cancer than he althy people. In addition, a large proportion of patients are addicted to alcohol, nicotine (schizophrenics are the largest group of patients who smoke cigarettes) or psychoactive substances. A number of data indicate that the risk of death in people diagnosed with schizophrenia is 2-3 times higher than in the general population.