psychosis

Stigma adds to burden of psychosis

The stigma of psychosis can isolate carers and make them more reluctant to access crucial support, especially in migrant communities.

Research by Professor Terence McCann from Victoria University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery explored how caregivers of young people with a first episode of psychosis in 20 Melbourne families coped with the stigma of mental illness.

“For relatives and caregivers of people with mental illness, stigma affects many aspects of their already burdened lives, with friends avoiding not only the person who is ill but also the person’s caregivers,” Professor McCann said.

The study found some carers, particularly those from migrant backgrounds, chose secrecy and isolation rather than face the rejection, embarrassment or loss of status they feared in the community.

“Some caregivers simply shut themselves off from others,” Professor McCann said.

He said this approach could have troubling repercussions.

“Secrecy precludes the caregiver and the young person from receiving crucial support from others, it reinforces their social isolation and alienation from friends and neighbours, and for caregivers in particular, it heightens their overall burden of care,” he said. “Secrecy may also mean the caregiver is more reluctant to access timely care for the young person.”

He said the secretive approach to mental illness among migrants was consistent with previous research, by Ryder and colleagues in 2000, in which Chinese-Canadian caregivers were more secretive about psychosis than European-Canadian caregivers. [continue reading…]

Cannabis jointA new study that is published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics addresses the problem of cannabis use in young people and addresses a very difficult target, psychotic patients.

This study analyses the efficacy of a specific motivational intervention (MI) on young cannabis users suffering from psychosis. MI appears to be a useful active component to reduce cannabis use which should be integrated in routine clinical practice.

Cannabis use has a negative impact on psychosis. The aim of this study is to analyze the efficacy of a specific motivational intervention on young cannabis users suffering from psychosis. [continue reading…]

Does Marijuana Really Trigger Psychosis?

Many in the media have speculated that Jared Loughner’s heavy use of marijuana could have been in some way behind his recent rampage in Arizona that cost six people their lives, and left Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords critically wounded. Is this claim just media hype or based on real science?

The experts over at BigThink take a look at this question: Link to read more

Source: BigThink