Page 95 - SafeCert Approved First Aid for Mental Health at Work (Level 3) | Trainers Manual

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Schizophrenia

Facts Teaching

• Nearly 1 in 100 people will experience schizophrenia in the course of a lifetime.
• After a first episode of schizophrenia, approx 1 in 5 recover in 5 years, 65% will
have varied problems in 10 years and 10-15% will experience lifelong illness.

What is it?

Schizophrenia is nothing to do with spilt personality. It affects thinking, feeling and
behaviour. It can affect people from all walks of life. The first symptoms often
develop in early adulthood and vary from person to person, but may remain
undiagnosed.

For some, the illness may start suddenly. The person may become unwell very quickly and very
severely. Their thoughts may become muddled or they may experience hallucinations. For others, the
change may happen gradually. Administration

Signs and Symptoms

Hallucinations - hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling or tasting something that doesn‘t exist, as if it were
real. Hearing voices is the most common hallucination experienced.

• Delusions - holding false and often unusual beliefs with unshakeable conviction. For example,
someone might fear that they are being watched or followed.
• The person appears to show little emotion or when they do it may appear out of context e.g. crying
at a joke.
• They may say very little and rarely start a conversation. They may speak in a way that will seem
muddled and illogical, with little meaning. They may think or act in a way that cannot be easily
understood.

Recovery Lesson Plans

Generally, the sooner help is sought the greater the chance of recovery. Medication is commonly
used and with good relationships with support teams, most people feel like they have had their lives
back‘.

At times some people with schizophrenia may require hospital care.

For more information: www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Handouts s

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