Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychotic disorder that changes how a person perceives reality, thinks, communicates, behaves, and functions. Hallucinations and delusions are positive symptoms because they add experiences that are not ordinarily present. Disorganized speech or behaviour may make care, nutrition, sleep, and relationships difficult. Negative symptoms include reduced emotional expression, speech, motivation, pleasure, and social engagement. Cognitive difficulties can affect attention, memory, planning, and problem-solving. Symptoms and recovery vary: some people have episodic exacerbations and remission, some have persistent disability, and some recover fully. Person-first, non-stigmatizing care matters because discrimination can restrict access to housing, education, employment, and health care. No single cause explains schizophrenia. Current public-health descriptions emphasize altered brain-circuit function and an interaction among genetic vulnerability, environmental exposures, and psychosocial factors; heavy cannabis use is associated with greater risk. Onset is most often in late adolescence or early adulthood, so illness can disrupt education, work, relationships, and development of independent living skills. A family history increases risk but does not determine that a person will develop the disorder. The nurse should therefore assess the whole person rather...