The Environment of Schizophrenia

There is now a body of evidence suggesting that the occurrence and course of schizophrenia are affected by a variety of environmental factors. The Environment of Schizophrenia draws upon our knowledge of these factors in order to design innovations that will decrease its incidence and severity, while enhancing the quality of life for sufferers and their relatives. Examining environmental forces operating at the individual, domestic and broad societal levels, Richard Warner proposes feasible interventions such as: * education about obstetric risks * marketing effective psychosocial treatments * business enterprises set up to employ people with mental illness * cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis The Environment of Schizophrenis suggests practical ways to create a better world for those who suffer from this serious illness and for those who are close to them. It will prove fresh and stimulating reading for mental health managers and policy makers, as well as psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, mental health advocates, and communications specialists.

Richard Warner is the Medical Director of the Mental Health Center of Boulder Country, Colorado, and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Adjunct Professor of Anthropolgy at the University of Colorado. He is the author of Recovery from Schizophrenia (Routledge, 1994) and numerous other publications on the epidemiology and community treatment of schizophrenia.

Part 1: Individual Level. Obstetric Complications. Intervention No.1: An Educational Campaign on the Risks of Obstetric Complications. Substance Use. Intervention No.2: Individual Substance Use Counseling. Social Stress. Intervention No.3: Cognitive-behavioural Therapy for Psychotic Symptoms. Intervention No.4: Benzodiazepines to Reduce Stress-included Psychotic Symptoms. Access to Power. Intervention No.5: Consumer Involvement at all Levels of Service Provision. Part 2: Domestic Level. Living with Family. Intervention No.6: Tax-free Support Payments for Caregivers. Domestic Stress. Intervention No.7: Marketing the Family Psychoeducational Approach. Alienating Environments. Intervention No.8: Domestic Alternatives to the Hospital for Acute Treatment. Part 3: Community Level. Work Availability. Intervention No.9: Economic Disincentives to Work. Intervention No.10: Modifying Disability Pension Regulations. Intervention No.11: Wage Subsidies. Stigma. Intervention No.12: Lobbying the News and Entertainment Media. Intervention No.13: A Global Anti-stigma Campaign. Summary and Conclusions. Bibliography. Index.