Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper

Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper

Depression and suicidality after first episode of psychosis are well-documented responses in patients with schizophrenia (Addington, Williams, Young, & Addington, 2004). The understanding of depression and suicidality has been increasingly refined through careful study. Researchers have identified a number of factors that may cause depression such as insight into the illness, feelings of loss and inferiority about the illness as a damaging life event, hopelessness about having a viable future with the illness and mourning for losses engendered by the illness. Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper  The authors argue that grief and mourning are not just an occasional reaction to the diagnosis of schizophrenia, but are a necessary part of coming to terms with having the illness. They offer three case examples, each of which illuminates a distinct way in which psychosis and mourning may be related–psychosis as a loss of former identity, psychosis as offering meaning and transformation, and psychosis as a way of coping with the inability to mourn. In their view, recovery depends on mourning illness-related losses, developing personal meaning for the illness, and moving forward with “usable insight” and new identity (Lewis, 2004) that reflects a new understanding of one’s strengths and limitations with the illness.Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper

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Read “Grief and Mourning in Schizophrenia” by Wittman and Keshavan, from Psychiatry: Interpersonal & Biological Processes (2007).

Write a 1,200-1,500-word essay in which you propose a safety plan to address potential depression and suicidality in clients who have recently been diagnosed with schizophrenia.Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper

Include the following in your paper:

• The relationship between grief and mourning and a diagnosis of schizophrenia
• The necessity of addressing grief and loss during the treatment process.
• An explanation of how a client’s religious or spiritual beliefs come into play during this process of grief and mourning.Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper
• Treatment options for addressing potential depression and risks of suicide
• Include at least five scholarly references in addition to the textbook in your paper.

Prepare this PCN 605 Benchmark: Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper

This PCN 605 Benchmark: Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper

You are required to submit this PCN 605 Benchmark: Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

This assignment assesses the following programmatic competency: 1.4: Demonstrate knowledge and skill in working with unique counseling populations.Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper

PCN 605 Benchmark: Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia

Question Description

Topic 3 DQ1: Childhood disorders often gain popularity during a specific time, such as Autism and ADHD. Select a commonly diagnosed childhood disorder and discuss. Why is it currently in vogue? Be sure to include in your discussion thoughts about medication trends, media attention, etc Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper

Topic 3 DQ2: How can a therapist determine if a child’s presenting issue can be accounted for based on typical development (e.g., Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, Erik Erikson’s psychosocial stages) or determine that the issue is pathological in nature? Provide at least one specific example in your response. Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper

The diagnosis of schizophrenia has countless implications for an individual’s life. Being diagnosed with schizophrenia can mean many things to a person, including the loss of identity and sense of self, the loss of their life as they once knew it, various losses in work, familial, educational, and social settings, and countless other types of losses. Due to the major life changes that come with schizophrenia, new feelings of uncertainty, depression, hopelessness, grief, and fear may result, as the individual’s life may begin to look entirely different to them. Addington, Williams, Young, and Addington (2004) indicate that, due to the major life changes and losses that come with schizophrenia, individuals who are recently-diagnosed are at risk for depression, along with suicidal ideation and behavior, which is a major cause for concern. It goes without saying that this potentiality establishes a need for comprehensive safety plans when working with clients who have recently been diagnosed with the disorder.Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper

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Managing Depression and Suicidality

It is common for clients with schizophrenia to feel grief and loss due to the myriad life changes that it triggers (Wittmann & Keshavan, 2007). In this sense, during treatment, it is essential for clinicians to help clients navigate through the grieving process. According to Tait, Birchwood, and Trower (as cited in Wittmann & Keshavan, 2007), depression has been found to lead to the abandonment of treatment by clients due to the isolating characteristics of the disorder. Abandonment of treatment poses serious drawbacks for clients.Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper

Wittmann and Keshavan (2007) assert that the grieving process is a necessary component to coming to terms with a new diagnosis of schizophrenia. Due to the sense of loss experienced by individuals newly diagnosed with schizophrenia, it is essential for them to navigate and work through the grieving process (Wittmann & Keshavan, 2007). According to Lewis (as cited in Wittmann & Keshavan, 2007), by doing so, clients will learn to mourn the life and identity changes that have occurred, along with establishing the ability to integrate such change into their lives. It has been shown that counseling can be beneficial in such a situation.Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper

Grief and mourning are a common component in clients diagnosed with schizophrenia (Wittmann & Keshavan, 2007). This is because the diagnosis of a serious, permanent mental disorder is a major life crisis for most. The disorder affects the mind in very serious ways (Wittmann & Keshavan, 2007). In some cases, clients might spiral into psychosis as a means of dissociating, or defending against facing, the losses their disorder has caused (Wittmann & Keshavan, 2007). Clinicians have a major hand in helping clients manage this crisis.Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper

Numerous models exist to explain grief and mourning, and can also help professionals guide grieving individuals. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross (1969) proposed five stages of grief that individuals can experience while grieving. They include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In contrast, Worden (2002) proposes four tasks, as opposed to stages of grief. These include accepting the reality that loss has occurred, feeling the pain and emotional responses to the loss that has occurred, readjusting to life after the loss, and finding ways to remember the lost individual. Although these models are meant to aid in grieving a person, individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia are, in fact, grieving the loss of the person they once were and will potentially no longer be. In this sense, these models offer a framework that can be used in counseling to help a client adjust to life after their loss of self.Grief and Mourning In Schizophrenia Essay Paper