SOCW 6090 Walden University McGough Experience with Schizophrenia Case Study Experiences of schizophrenia are not homogeneous; there is wide variety in ons

SOCW 6090 Walden University McGough Experience with Schizophrenia Case Study Experiences of schizophrenia are not
homogeneous; there is wide variety in onset, course of illness, and
combinations of symptoms. Social workers need to be able to understand
the different manifestations and pathways of the illness to plan
interventions. Social work services play a key role in stabilizing
crises, supporting family coping, and influencing overall quality of
life and outcomes of individuals with schizophrenia. In this Assignment,
you practice applying this necessary individualization.To prepare: In the Learning Resources,
focus on the associated features, development, and course of the
illnesses in the schizophrenia spectrum. Also focus on descriptions of
the disorder and the way it develops for different individuals.Choose two articles from the list in the
Learning Resources that apply to treatment support and interventions for
the schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders chapter in the
DSM 5. Choose either Saks or McGough to focus on for this assignment.By Day 7Submit a 3- to 4-page paper, supported by at least 4 scholarly resources (not including DSM-5 but mandatory to use), in which you address the following:Describe Saks’s or McGough’s experiences with schizophrenia.
Identify onset, associated features (specifically referencing the
positive and negative symptoms), development, and course. Explain how you would use the Clinician Rated Dimensions of
Psychosis Symptom Severity measure and the WHODAS to help confirm your
diagnosis.Explain how you would plan treatment and individualize it for Saks
or McGough. Support your response with references to scholarly
resources. In your explanation, consider the following questions:What are the long-term challenges for someone living with the illness?What social, family, vocational, and medical supports are needed for long-term stabilization?
Briefly explain how race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation,
socioeconomic status, religion, or other identity characteristics may
influence an individual’s experience with schizophrenia.Required Readings
Morrison, J. (2014). Diagnosis made easier (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Chapter 5, “Coping with Uncertainty” (pp. 43–56)Chapter 13, “Diagnosing Psychosis” (pp. 185–215)

American Psychiatric Association. (2013p). Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.dsm02

American Psychiatric Association. (2013b). Assessment measures. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.AssessmentMeasures
Required Media
TED Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2012). A tale of mental illness—from the inside [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/elyn_saks_seeing_mental_illness

TEDx Talks. (2017, March 27). I am not a monster: Schizophrenia | Cecilia McGough | TEDxPSU [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/xbagFzcyNiM

Osmosis. (2016, March 8). Schizophrenia: Causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment & pathology [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/PURvJV2SMso
Article Choices for AssignmentSelect at least 2 articles from the following list for the Assignment.

Atadokht, A., Ebrahimzadeh, S., & Mikaeeli, N. (2019). The effectiveness of humor skills training on positive and negative symptoms of chronic schizophrenia spectrum. Journal of Holistic Nursing and Midwifery, 29(1), 15-21.

Breitborde, N. J. K., Moe, A. M., Ered, A., Ellman, L. M., & Bell, E. K. (2017). Optimizing psychosocial interventions in first-episode psychosis: Current perspectives and future directions. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 10, 119–127. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S111593

Cohen, A. N., Hamilton, A. B., Saks, E. R., Glover, D. L., Glynn, S. M., Brekke, J. S., & Marder, S. R. (2017). How occupationally high-achieving individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia manage their symptoms. Psychiatric Services, 68(4), 324–329. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.201600031

Hernandez, M., Barrio, C., & Yamada, A.-M. (2013). Hope and burden among Latino families of adults with schizophrenia. Family Process, 52(4), 697–708. doi:10.1111/famp.12042

Kung, W. (2016). Tangible needs and external stressors faced by Chinese American families with a member having schizophrenia. Social Work Research, 40(1), 53–63. doi:10.1093/swr/svv047

Mueser, K. T., Penn, D. L., Addington, J., Brunette, M. F., Gingerich, S., Glynn, S. M., … Kane, J. M. (2015). The NAVIGATE program for first-episode psychosis: Rationale, overview, and description of psychosocial components. Psychiatric Services, 66(7), 680–690. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.201400413

Velthorst, E., Fett, A.-K. J., Reichenberg, A., Perlman, G., van Os, J., Bronet, E. J., & Kotov, R. (2017). The 20-year longitudinal trajectories of social functioning in individuals with psychotic disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 174(11), 1075–1085. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.15111419

Walsh, J., Hochbrueckner, R., Corcoran, J., & Spence, R. (2016). The lived experience of schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-synthesis. Social Work in Mental Health, 14(6), 607–624. doi:10.1080/15332985.2015.1100153

White, C., & Unruh, A. (2013). Unheard voices: Mothers of adult children with schizophrenia speak up. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 32(3), 109–120. doi:10.7870/cjcmh-2013-025
Optional Resources
American Psychiatric Association. (2018). Online assessment measures. Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/educational-resources/assessment-measures Optional Media
Singer, J. B. (Producer). (2008, November 17). Episode 45—Schizophrenia and social work: Interview with Shaun Eack [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2008/11/schizophrenia-and-social-work-interview.html Running head: TREATMENT AND SUPPORT FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
Treatment Support and Interventions for Schizophrenia
WALDEN UNIVERSITY
SOCW 6090
WEEK 7 ASIGNMENT
1
TREATMENT AND SUPPORT FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
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Treatment Support and Interventions for Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental illness that exhibits abnormalities in thought patterns and the
grasp of realities in life. There has been a surge in the population of people reporting schizophrenic
symptoms globally due to the progressive reduction in social stigma towards patients. The
percentage of people living with schizophrenia stands at slightly above 1.1 percent globally, with
the population in the United States being approximately 2.4 million (Ong Ibrahim & Wahab,
2016). The statistics indicate a dire need for concerted efforts to spread awareness about
schizophrenia and establish institutions to empower people with this mental disorder. A rigorous
and comprehensive research needs to accompany the sensitization and support efforts to produce
more effective medication and therapeutic protocols (Cohen et al., 2017). The paper focuses on
Cecilia McGough’s experience with schizophrenia, stages of the mental illness, and diagnostic
confirmation methods. The discussion also addresses the individualized treatment plan, the longterm challenges, and the support required as well as the role of identifying characteristics such as
race and social-economic factors in shaping the experience of people with schizophrenia.
Description of McGough’s Experiences with Schizophrenia
Cecilia McGough’s experience with schizophrenia cements the argument that this mental
illness manifests uniquely in each patient. Though McGough had a mental disorder all through her
life, the symptoms became more prominent at the preliminary levels of her high school education.
As noted from the video, Cecilia had a more aggressive encounter with schizophrenia in 2014
during her first year in college, which points to a relatively late onset of the mental illness
(McGough, 2017). In terms of associated features, Cecilia’s experience with schizophrenia got
expressed in incessant hallucinations that affected her social interactions and ability to concentrate
TREATMENT AND SUPPORT FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
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in class. The hallucinations, including extraordinarily huge spiders, represent positive symptoms
in the form of enhanced manifestations of ordinary phenomena.
Negative symptoms get represented by the decision to non-communicate by withholding
information concerning her current psychiatric challenges. The development stage of Cecilia’s
schizophrenia depicted more disturbing and unbearable hallucinations of a girl stabbing her with
a knife, which prompted her to seek medication (McGough, 2017). The course of schizophrenia is
typically chronic, meaning that only a few patients experience permanent recovery from the
symptoms. In the case of Cecilia, her traumatic experience with red and white color combinations
is a clear indication that the course of schizophrenia falls under the typical category (Walsh et al.,
2016). Her mental condition shows remarkable improvement, but transient periods of remission
and psychosis could emerge anywhere along the course of her life with schizophrenia.
Diagnostic Confirmation using the CRDPSS Measure and the WHODAS
The Clinician-Rated Dimensions of Psychosis Symptom Severity (CRDPSS) and the
World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) are useful tools to
ascertain the presence of mental illness in patients. The CRDPSS measure will come in handy in
determining the degree of mental illness based on the absence, equivocation, mild presence,
moderate presence, and sever presence of key symptoms of schizophrenia (Park, Lee & Choi,
2016). Using the CRDPSS’s progression scale from 0 to 4, Cecilia’s diagnosis would be confirmed
by a rating 4 on the hallucination’s domain, which indicates the presence of severe and disturbing
voices or visions. The independent analysis of symptoms in the CRDPSS would be an added
element of precision in McGough’s diagnosis considering the absence of other markers of
schizophrenia, including delusions, disorganized speech, and impaired cognition.
TREATMENT AND SUPPORT FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
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The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) would be
useful in confirming the diagnosis of schizophrenia by providing an assessment of the functional
disabilities due to this mental illness. In the case of McGough, the domain of cognition and life
activities would be essential in the diagnosis process. A score of 3 or 4 in the availability of
disability in cognition and life activities indicates severe or extreme functional abnormalities,
which confirms the existence of schizophrenia (Park, Lee & Choi, 2016). Through the simple
scoring assessment approach, the WHODAS provides a complementary tool to enhance the
accuracy of the diagnosis for schizophrenia. The combined effect of the two instruments would go
a long way in producing a reliable and comprehensive diagnosis for the mental illness in the
patient.
Individualized Treatment Plan for Cecilia McGough’s Schizophrenia
Cecilia McGough’s treatment plan would involve prescription medicine and social support
from family, friends, and colleagues. The medications would include antipsychotic drugs to control
the action of serotonin and dopamine in a bid to ensure stable and controlled brain activity (Light
et al., 2017). The type of medication would depend on factors such as the possible side effects,
frequency of intake, cost, and noted effectiveness on the common symptoms. Due to the long-term
challenges of temporary remission and psychosis, readily available and cost-effective drugs would
be appropriate to allow continuous intake. Psychotherapy, social support, and skills training would
also be crucial to deal with the protracted effects of stigma and social segregation (Cohen et al.,
2017). Family members, relatives, and colleagues would play a pivotal role in orchestrating
normalcy and lengthening the remission period.
TREATMENT AND SUPPORT FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
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Influence of Identity Characteristics on Schizophrenia Experiences
Identity characteristics, including socioeconomic, gender, ethnicity, and religion, play a
central role in shaping the experiences of people living with schizophrenia. People in highachieving or socially elevated groups often struggle with self-esteem implications of exposing their
mental illness to the public. The fear of social stigma prevents people from seeking timely
medication (Cohen et al., 2017). Individuals from superior socioeconomic and racial backgrounds
dread the social downgrading and segregation that comes with accepting to have a mental
condition considered a preserve of marginalized groups in society. In the case of McGough, her
academic excellence and family reputation prevented her from seeking medical assistance during
the initial stages of her mental illness.
Socioeconomically well-to-do individuals can afford treatment, which minimizes suffering
and enhances quick remission of severe symptoms. Statistics on gender-based health-seeking
behavior indicate that women are more likely to seek psychiatric assistance compared to men due
to the social perceptions of men as emotionally resilient compared to women (Walsh et al., 2016).
Some religious beliefs also prompt people to attribute mental illness to spiritual causes, which
extends suffering as family and friends of the patients seek spiritual solutions. Individuals from
minority groups, including the LGBT community and minority races, receive limited attention due
to social dismissal and inability to afford treatment for their mental conditions (Ong Ibrahim &
Wahab, 2016). Identity characteristics shape the experience of people with schizophrenia by
influencing their ability and willingness to seek psychiatric, social, and emotional assistance for
mental illness.
TREATMENT AND SUPPORT FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
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References
Cohen, A. N., Hamilton, A. B., Saks, E. R., Glover, D. L., Glynn, S. M., Brekke, J. S., & Marder,
S. R. (2017). How occupationally high-achieving individuals with a diagnosis of
schizophrenia manage their symptoms. Psychiatric Services, 68(4), 324-329.
Light, G. A., Zhang, W., Joshi, Y. B., Bhakta, S., Talledo, J. A., & Swerdlow, N. R. (2017).
Single-dose memantine improves cortical oscillatory response dynamics in patients with
schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology, 42(13), 2633-2639.
McGough, C. (2017, March 27). I Am Not A Monster: Schizophrenia. Retrieved April 10, 2020,
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbagFzcyNiM&feature=youtu.be
Ong, H. C., Ibrahim, N., & Wahab, S. (2016). Psychological distress, perceived stigma, and
coping among caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. Psychology Research and
Behavior Management, 9, 211.
Park, S. C., Lee, K. U., & Choi, J. (2016). Factor structure of the clinician-rated dimensions of
psychosis symptom severity in patients with schizophrenia. Psychiatry
Investigation, 13(2), 253-254.
Walsh, J., Hochbrueckner, R., Corcoran, J., & Spence, R. (2016). The lived experience of
schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-synthesis. Social Work in Mental
Health, 14(6), 607-624.
Running Head: SCHIZOPHRENIA OVER TIME: EXPERIENCES WITH THE ILLNESS
Walden University: SOCW6090
Schizophrenia Over Time: Experiences Living with the Illness
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SCHIZOPHRENIA OVER TIME: EXPERIENCES WITH THE ILLNESS
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Describe McGough’s experiences with schizophrenia. Identify onset, associated features
(specifically referencing the positive and negative symptoms), development, and course.
Cecilia McGough is an astronomy and astrophysics’ major at Penn State University
(TEDx Talks., 2017, March 27). McGough is believed to have experienced schizophrenia her
whole life but it came prevalent during her junior year of high school. Her experience with
schizophrenia continued over to her college years. During her first year in college, she
experienced her first suicidal attempt. McGough explained that her schizophrenia was a waking
nightmare (TEDx Talks., 2017, March 27). She used the metaphor of her experiences to
nightmares that you cannot escape from by waking up. It took her eight months to find herself
medical assistance for her experiences. She mentioned that she was hallucinating, in which she
was seeing, hearing, and feeling things at were not real. She described her visuals as a clown,
specifically resembling the clown from Stephen Kings IT, small and big spiders, and a girl that
resembles a character from The Ring (TEDx Talks., 2017, March 27). These visuals would often
say or do things to McGough that would taunt, bother, trigger, and upset her. The hallucinations
had gone on for so long, that she would be able to identify and differentiate what was real.
Although, she found herself having trouble identifying real versus hallucination when she saw
small spiders. McGough identified other triggers such as the colors red and white, which
reminded her of the clown she would hallucinate. Schizophrenia had impacted McGough’s life in
many ways. It began disrupting her schooling, making it hard for her to concentrate, she was
opinionated by her own mother, and targeted by the police in her dorm. After the involvement of
the police, McGough revealed publicly her mental health illness. Through McGough’s story and
experiences, she created the Students with Schizophrenia organization. This organization assisted
students living with schizophrenia and found the resources they need.
SCHIZOPHRENIA OVER TIME: EXPERIENCES WITH THE ILLNESS
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Explain how you would use the Clinician Rated Dimensions of Psychosis Symptom Severity
measure and the WHODAS to help confirm your diagnosis.
The Clinician-Rated Dimensions of Psychosis Symptom Severity is a measurement
assessment tool that it used to assess symptoms of psychosis that includes delusions,
hallucinations, abnormal psychomotor behavior, disorganized speech, and negative symptoms
(American Psychiatric Association., 2013b). The Clinician-Rated Dimensions of Psychosis
Symptom Severity tool is an 8-item measure that tests the severity and presence of conditions
that the client has experienced throughout the past 7 days before assessment (American
Psychiatric Association., 2013b).
The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS) is
another measurement assessment tool that is used to assess disabilities in adults from 18 years of
age and older (American Psychiatric Association., 2013b). WHODAS is a 36-item measure that
assesses disabilities across six domains, which include self-care, understanding and
communicating, getting along with other individuals, getting around, participation in society and
life activities (American Psychiatric Association., 2013b). In each area of assessment, it
questions the participant on the difficulty of each domain within the past 30 days from
assessment.
Utilizing the Clinician-Rated Dimensions of Psychosis Symptom Severity and WHODAS
measurement scale to confirm McGough’s diagnosis of schizophrenia would be beneficial. I can
use the Clinician-Rated Dimensions of Psychosis Symptom Severity measurement scale to
identify any other symptoms that were not expressed. Also, this would allow myself to
understand which condition is more powerful for McGough. The WHODAS measurement tool
will allow me to understand the activities that inhibit McGough from having a “normal” day.
SCHIZOPHRENIA OVER TIME: EXPERIENCES WITH THE ILLNESS
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This scale acknowledges the areas that the individual can function in and what are considered
difficult and challenging.
Explain how you would plan treatment and individualize it for McGough. Support your
response with references to scholarly resources. What are the long-term challenges for
someone living with the illness? What social, family, vocational, and medical supports are
needed for long-term stabilization?
Social work practitioners are the primary providers of psychosocial treatment for
individuals who live with schizophrenia (Eack, S. M., 2012, July). Schizophrenia is defined as a
mental disorder portrayed by abnormal perceptions and patterns of thought (Walsh, J.,
Hochbrueckner, R., Corcoran, J., & Spence, R., 2016). When creating a treatment plan for
McGough, many aspects must be put into perspective. A full understanding of her symptoms,
conditions and treatment history. Forms of treatment that McGough could undergo would
include individual psychotherapy, self-help groups, social skills training (SST), psychosocial
therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (Hayes, L. N., 2019, January 18). The best
treatment plan would include CBT because it works on thought patterns and other cognitive
patterns (Hayes, L. N., 2019, January 18). In addition to CBT, McGough would be prescribed
medication and would develop coping skills. Medication is super important to combine with
clinicians and other health professionals for effective results (Osmosis., 2016, March 8). Coping
skills would aid in her treatment plan because most individuals face schizophrenic symptoms
throughout their lifetime (Cohen, A. N., Hamilton, A. B., Saks, E. R., et al., 2017). This would
conclude why McGough needs to discover as many coping skills as possible, to help her achieve
any goals. Coping skills will allow her to overcome any boundaries present or future.
SCHIZOPHRENIA OVER TIME: EXPERIENCES WITH THE ILLNESS
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Long-term challenges for individuals living with schizophrenia include instability in jobs,
friends and family relationships, trouble achieving goals, immunity to treatment, stigma, and a
lack of support and resources. Most of these correlates with a lack of treatment and stigma.
Mental health services for recovery direction has been slow, and the social stigma in relation to
schizophrenia and other mental illnesses continues to be perpetuated by popular culture and
media (Cohen, A. N., Hamilton, A. B., Saks, E. R., et al., 2017). For long-term stabilization, the
stigma of mental illnesses needs to be addressed and corrected. With stigma addressed and
corrected, vocational opportunities will become more welcoming and understanding of mental
illnesses. In McGough’s case, she was involved with the police and publicly humiliated because
she voluntarily admitted she could benefit from another psychiatric hospital stay (TEDx Talks.,
2017, March 27). She was addressed inappropriately and her condition was not kept private from
her university. Other ways to obtain long-term stabilization would be creating a support system
with either family, friends or a support group. This would create a back bone for individuals to
go to with concerns and assistance outside of medical professionals.
Briefly explain how race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status,
religion, or other identity characteristics may influence an individual’s experience with
schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia and other mental illnesses do not discriminate based off gender, sexual
orientation, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, etcetera. Science has identified that
schizophrenia does happen in men more so than woman and that the symptoms in women are
less severe (Osmosis., 2016, March 8). That is not stating that this is true for every form of
human life. This is determined based off the chemicals in men versus women. In other words,
SCHIZOPHRENIA OVER TIME: EXPERIENCES WITH THE ILLNESS
there is no relation to gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion,
etcetera.
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SCHIZOPHRENIA OVER TIME: EXPERIENCES WITH THE ILLNESS
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Reference:
American Psychiatric Association. (2013b). Assessment measures. In Diagnostic and statistical
manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.
doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.AssessmentMeasures
Cohen, A. N., Hamilton, A. B., Saks, E. R., Glover, D. L., Glynn, S. M., Brekke, J. S., & Marder,
S. R. (2017). How occupationally high-achieving individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia
manage their symptoms. Psychiatric Services, 68(4), 324-329. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.201600031
Eack, S. M. (2012, July). Cognitive remediation: a new generation of psychosocial interventions
for people with schizophrenia. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3683242/
Hayes, L. N. (2019, January 18). 5 Types of Therapy to Treat Schizophrenia. Retrieved from
https://www.talkspace.com/blog/schizophrenia-therapy-types-treatment/
Osmosis. (2016, March 8). Schizophrenia: Causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment & pathology
[Video file]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/PURvJV2SMso.
TEDx Talks. (2017, March 27). I am not a monster: Schizophrenia | Cecilia McGough |
TEDxPSU [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/xbagFzcyNiM
SCHIZOPHRENIA OVER TIME: EXPERIENCES WITH THE ILLNESS
Walsh, J., Hochbrueckner, R., Corcoran, J., & Spence, R. (2016). The lived experience of
schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-synthesis. Social Work in Mental Health, 14(6),
607-624. doi:10.1080/15332985.2015.1100153
8

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