Abode of Wisdom - 6

MANAGEMENT OF MAJOR MENTAL ILLNESS

Treatment of mental illness includes medication, psychosocial rehabilitation and regular follow-up. For comprehensive treatment we need the help of a disciplinary team which includes:

1.       Psychiatrists

2.       Psychiatric Social Workers

3.       Psychologists

4.       Psychiatric Nurses

5.       Occupational Therapists

6.       Recreational Therapists

7.       Other Mental Heath Professionals

Pharmacological Management

The past decade has seen many advances in the pharmacological treatment of severe mental illness. The newer atypical antipsychotic drugs are as effective, at least in the short term, as traditional treatment, but have fewer troublesome extra-pyramidal side-effects.

Psychosocial Management

Psychosocial Management involves ‘improving the psychiatrically disturbed person’s capabilities and competence’ by bringing about ‘behavioral improvement in their environment of need’. It is helping the individual adapt to their deficits in personal skills by ‘making best use of his residual abilities in order to function in as normal an environment as possible’. 

Rehabilitation is a helping process wherein the client is motivated and encouraged to develop his lost skills and develop on his residual skills so as to become a functional member of society. Rehabilitation work seeks to effect changes in a person's environment and in a person's ability to deal with their environment, so as to facilitate improvement in symptoms or personal distress. These services often combine pharmacological treatment, independent living and social skills training, psychological support to clients and their families, housing, vocational rehabilitation, social support and network enhancement as well as access to leisure activities.

Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) can be described as consisting of eight main areas of work: Psychiatric (symptom management); Social (relationships, family, boundaries, communication & community integration); Vocational and/or Educational (coping skills, motivation); Basic Living Skills (hygiene, meals, safety, planning, chores); Financial (budgets); Community and/or Legal (resources); Health and/or Medical (maintain consistency of care); and Housing (safe environment).