What you need to know about Schizophrenia by Romeo Vitelli

Author:Romeo Vitelli
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ABC-CLIO
Published: 2022-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

HOW EFFECTIVE IS COGNITIVE REMEDIATION WITH SCHIZOPHRENICS?

As discussed in previous chapters, an estimated 75–85 percent of all people diagnosed with schizophrenia are prone to a wide range of cognitive impairments, including memory, attention, and language deficits that typically become more severe over time. The most persistent cognitive problems often appear long before the first true psychotic episode, even in early childhood, but they fail to be identified as being linked to schizophrenia until much later in life.

While antipsychotic medication can help treat many of these cognitive problems, at least in patients who are actively psychotic, treating the negative symptoms that occur in chronic schizophrenics is more difficult. The cognitive deficits often seen in schizophrenics may also increase the risk of relapse due to the stress that results from being unable to comprehend or react to new information as it arises. Cognitive problems can also make it more difficult for schizophrenics to function in the community, hold down a job, or attend school. Along with the increasing stress this causes, cognitive problems may also worsen self-esteem and make it more difficult for schizophrenics to participate in treatment, including remembering to take medication or to use coping techniques they might have been taught.

In recent years however, new approaches have been developed to teach schizophrenics to overcome cognitive deficits through rehabilitation exercises to build up critical thinking skills and make patients better able to function independently. Though not all schizophrenics will necessarily require this kind of cognitive training, it can be extremely beneficial for those who are showing cognitive problems that interfere with normal functioning.

While cognitive training programs are widely available online or as smartphone apps, people experiencing the kind of cognitive deficits seen in schizophrenia are usually better off participating in one of the structured programs described in the following sections. These programs are intended to enhance cognitive skills and build up self-esteem and confidence as users work through the treatment modules.

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