Why is it that a individual consumes a bottle of kiping tabular arraies or some other drugs or cuts his carpuss or intentionally attempts to submerge himself or even walks in forepart of an oncoming auto or train or leaps from a span in the hope that he will decease? What leads a individual to perpetrate self-destruction?
It is estimated that approximately 90 % of self-destructions are due to mental upsets of which 10 % of them diagnosed with schizophrenic disorder dice from self-destruction and 40 % effort self-destruction. ( Spoletini et al. , 2010 ) .
A 23 twelvemonth old male had gone through a break-up in his relationship with a adult female. ( Garcelan & A ; Yust, 1998 ) . He became socially isolated. His societal interaction became non-existence apart from his interaction with his parents and brothers and sisters. Most of the clip he was tick overing in bed in forepart of the telecasting. Although the degree of his societal and work competency was acceptable, the oncoming of his symptoms led him to lose his occupation. At the age of 25, he was hospitalized in the Rehabilitation Unit of a mental infirmary after he complained of audile hallucinations, disorganization of idea and behavior and great anxiousness. He was diagnosed of paranoid-type schizophrenic upset, in conformity with the standards of the DSM-III-R. The patients ‘ auditory hallucinations which were immune to antipsychotic medicine prevented him from transporting out in a normal manner any societal or occupational activity and as such precedence was given to handle the audile hallucinations. The patient was hearing voices that controlled his ideas and actions. ( Garcelan & A ; Yust, 1998 ) . This status if left untreated would hold led to inordinate anxiousness, somberness, weariness and thought troubles which finally would hold led to suicide.
There is barely any differentiation between the hazard factors for self-destruction of schizophrenic disorder patients and of people in general. ( Raymont, 2001 ) . Prediction of hazard of self-destruction in general is hard, owing to the low base rate of self-destruction and the comparative impreciseness of hazard factors. ( Hawton, Sutton, Haw, Sinclair & A ; Deeks, 2005 ) . Schizophrenia can be a annihilating unwellness as victims lose their normal logic, their clasp on world, sense of ego and thrust, aspirations, friends, societal and vocational functions, productiveness, self-respect and at the same clip the regard of others. When such a state of affairs arises most of them lose their will to populate and fall back to suicide. ( Siris, 2001 ) .
It is the negative ssymptoms of schizophrenic disorder such as stultification, loss of normal mental map, deficiency of emotions and loss of motive that is the major cause of self-destruction in the patients. ( Ellason & A ; Ross, 1995 ) . Negative symptoms of schizophrenic disorder predominate in tierce of all schizophrenic disorder symptoms. Patients exhibiting negative symptoms frequently do non react every bit good to intervention as compared with those who exhibit largely positive symptoms.
The positive symptoms of schizophrenic disorder such as surplus of normal mental and cognitive maps: hallucinations, paranoia, and delusional ideas confuse the patients. ( Ellason & A ; Ross, 1995 ) . However if such symptoms are non arrested at the early phases, the deterioration conditions would take to agitation, fright and depression ensuing in self-destructive inclinations in the patients.
Early sensing, intercession and intervention are of import. Surveies indicate higher hazards factors for socio – demographic factors in self-destruction for schizophrenic disorder in immature males, in the early old ages of the unwellness and holding a history of multiple old episodes or old self-destruction efforts. Most surveies have shown that work forces tend to finish self-destruction, whereas adult females tend to try self-destruction. ( Radomsky, Haas, Mann & A ; Sweeney, 1999 ) . Men commit suicide more frequently than adult females, but they differ from adult females with regard to the rate of self-destruction efforts. ( Harkavy-Friedman et al. , 1999 ) . In work forces, schizophrenic disorder is diagnosed in their late teens and early 20s seldom after age 45 and seldom before puberty whereas in adult females diagnosing is in their mid-20s to early 30s. However instances of schizophrenic disorder in kids every bit immature as 5 have been reported. Suicide efforts were highest within the 20-29-year -old group. ( Radomsky et al. , 1999 ) . Suicidal behavior is prevailing throughout the life span in those with schizophrenic disorder. However research has shown that the self-destruction efforts are higher in the first 10 old ages of the unwellness and after psychotic episodes and during the first 6 months after hospitalization. Ten per centum to 13 % of persons with schizophrenic disorder commit self-destruction, and 20 % to 40 % make self-destruction efforts. ( Harkavy-Friedman et al. , 1999 ) . Although between 50 % and 80 % of self-destruction efforts do non ensue in decease, the decease rate of self-destructions of schizophrenic disorder victims are between 40 % to 61 % of the instances. High rates of suicidal indexs which are decease wants, self-destructive programs, and suicide efforts were besides noticed in victims on admittance to the infirmary. ( Radomsky et al. , 1999 ) . Highly deadly methods of self-destruction were noted in the immature victims in the age group of 28.5 shortly after admittance or discharge. ( Hert, McKenzie & A ; Peuskens, 2001 ) .
Paranoid symptoms such as psychotic beliefs and intuitions increase the hazard of self-destruction. Most of the clip self-destruction in schizophrenic disorder is unprompted and hard to foretell. Surveies have shown that hazard of self-destruction is higher for the socially stray and unemployed victims due to depression. ( Raymont, 2001 ) . The rate of self-destruction is higher in victims who have a broken relationship so those who were non married or who have non been involved in romantic relationships. Nerve-racking conditions in life contributed to higher hazard in self-destructions when compared to misapply of drugs. ( Harkavy-Friedman et al. , 1999 ) . It has besides been seen that all the grounds mentioned above are interrelated. ( Hert et al. , 2001 ) . Although a victim would try suicide due to depression due to loss of their partner or boyfriend/girlfriend before, during or after they were diagnosed with schizophrenic disorder, their loss of trust in intervention has besides been suggested as a ground for self-destruction. ( Nyman & A ; Jonsson, 1986 ) . Slow advancement or deficiency of advancement in patients makes them lose hope and trust in the intervention when they have been hospitalised. Most of them had low societal competency and efficiency. The hazard of self-destruction is higher in victims with recent loss events and a household history of depression, although household history of any psychiatric upset was non. ( Hawton et al. , 2005 ) . Family support is a really of import factor in the bar of self-destruction as it prevents victims from traveling into depression and feeling hopeless or useless. If household members were to insulate them or label them as being mentally ill the victims would experience that life would be better without them and therefore will fall back to suicide.
Most patients with self-destructive ideas commit suicidal Acts of the Apostless, make menaces or do verbal communicating of self-destructive thoughts during the class of their unwellness. ( Nyman & A ; Jonsson, 1986 ) . Acts such as cutting, firing, stractching although non-suicidal in nature are the initial symptoms of self-destruction. A patient sing audile hallucinations rubing his cervix could exemplify a self-destructive purpose. ( Sakinofsky et al. , 2004 ) . Buying arms and rat toxicant or collection razors are besides declarative of self-destructive gestures. Feelingss of wretchedness, hoplesselness and menaces of self-destruction are besides declarative of self-destruction. A reference of suicide purpose should ever be taken earnestly even if patients who have ne’er attempted self-destruction. Repeat of self-destruction efforts is declarative of a high hazard victim particularly if efforts are repeated in less than two old ages. Victims below the age of 25 old ages are more susceptible to reiterate self-destructions efforts.
Depressive symptoms, terrible psychotic and panic like symptoms besides contribute to suicide. ( Siris, 2001 ) . Patients with schizophrenia spectrum psychoses have a higher rate of self-destructions when compared to patients with affectional psychoses. ( Radomsky et al. , 1999 ) . Hallucinations combined with psychotic symptoms increases the incidence of self-destruction in victims. ( Harkavy-Friedman et al. , 1999 ) . The hazard is higher for patients who have terrible depression, have a history of old self-destruction efforts and drug abuse. The prevalence of intoxicant maltreatment is much higher for males than inn females. Alcohol and drug maltreatment by patients could do schizophrenic disorder like psychosis which can take to hallucinations, anxiousness and psychotic belief. Drug/alcohol maltreatment by the patients has led to a higher incidence of self-destruction efforts by them. ( Soyka et al. , 1993 ) .
It is during certain periods of inordinate depression that they attempt suicide. Patients ‘ sudden loss of high degree of operation and fright of mental decomposition together with their slow advancement in the intervention increases the hazard of their self-destructive inclination. ( Raymont, 2001 ) . The fright, consciousness and hopelessness of the gradual impairment of their abilities lead to self-destructions. ( Nyman & A ; Jonsson, 1986 ) . Although depression is one of the major hazard factor of self-destruction in patients, hopelessness and fright has been found to be an of import factor for self-destruction. ( Raymont, 2001 ) . Suicide hazard is higher in patients with agitation with low self-prides and hopelessness and hapless attachment to intervention including those who fail to take medicine as prescribed or to go to followups. Patients who had been obligatorily admitted to hospital were non at greater hazard of self-destruction. The hazard is higher in the first 6 to 9 months after a patient has started on the medicine when they are believing more clearly and larn about the negative facets of their status. ( Hawton et al. , 2005 ) .
In order to forestall suicide efforts or self-destruction, patients could inform their household members when they have ideas of self-destructive although most of them maintain such self-destructive ideas private. ( Nyman & A ; Jonsson, 1986 ) . They seldom reveal their ideas to the professionals. Curative steps are recommended during the initial phases of suicidal victims. Family members or health professionals have to be observant and look out for the times when the patient is holding morbid ideas, negative thought or has a sudden dramatic alteration in his temper which are really indicants of self-destructive purpose. Patients should be made to experience that they are cared for and that self-destruction is non the manner out. Patients could besides hold their ain particular groups where they meet up with other schizophrenic disorder patients and speak about their unwellness and do each other better. Family members could besides play a immense portion in bar of self-destruction by giving all the moral support needed by them and non label them as mentally sick and insulate them.
Patients should be encouraged to adhere to their interventions and more support to be given to those who are at higher hazards and have suffered a recent loss. Close monitoring of in-patients and those out -patients, particularly immature work forces in the initial phases of schizophrenic disorder, is of import. As the hazard of self-destruction is higher of in-patients, infirmary wards have been designed to avoid utilizing installations that have possible hazards for acutely sick patients and to supply with a more curative ambiance. Sing another patient perpetrating self-destruction will take to similar suicidal ideas in a patient. ( Raymont, 2001 ) . Hearing about a self-destruction, feelings of solitariness, deficiency of household support increases the hazard of self-destruction in the patients. ( Nyman & A ; Jonsson, 1986 ) . The usage of cognitive-behavioural therapy has been proposed as a manner of turn toing self-destructive ideation. ( Raymont, 2001 ) .
In decision, sschizophrenia is a chronic, but manageable, disease. However, much more demands to be done to back up intervention and recovery. ( Raymont, 2001 ) . John Nash a recent Nobel Laureate in Economics stands out in the bravery he has shown to contend against schizophrenic disorder.