Fresh thinking in battle against schizophrenia

07 июля, 2003
A CAMPAIGN launched in Bristol yesterday sets out to provide better help for thousands of schizophrenics. Western Daily Press via NewsEdge Corporation : A CAMPAIGN launched in Bristol yesterday sets out to provide better help for thousands of schizophrenics. It comes after an inquiry this week heard how Bristol paranoid schizophrenic Matthew Martin battered his father to death with an axe after being neglected by the authorities. About 60,000 people in the South West suffer from the condition which includes hallucinations, delusions and behavioural problems among its symptoms. Yet fewer than 20 per cent of patients have access to the best new treatments. The 1 in 100 initiative aims to tell sufferers and their carers about the medication and support they can get. Martin, who is now in a secure unit, slipped through the net after a catalogue of "missed opportunities" by mental health workers, prisons and social services, the report concluded. Although such tragedies are unusual, the 1 in 100 campaign aims to make people aware of the improvements in treatments and encourage better communication between patients, their families and the medical profession. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice), which decides what should be available on the NHS, is recommending that newly-diagnosed sufferers and those experiencing side effects from older antipsychotics should be offered new antipsychotic drugs. Paddy Cooney, director of Mental Health South West, which is supporting the campaign, said: "In light of the Nice guidelines for schizophrenia, we want everyone to be aware of what treatments are on offer, including both medications and psychological treatments, how they work, and how to get them." The newer type of medication, available in tablets, liquids and injections, targets a broader range of symptoms than before. David Dixon, 62, from near Wedmore, Somerset, suffered from manic depression for 10 years. "I started to lose touch with reality, couldn't make decisions and suffered hallucinations and voices in my head. Manic depression is quite similar to schizophrenia," he said. Yet after leaving his job as an engineer to take up writing and through the love and support of his family, Mr Dixon reclaimed his life. Now on the board of Mental Health South West, he said: "Statistics show that 25 per cent of schizophrenics can recover fully and 40 per cent can manage very well on the drugs. With drugs to get out of the cavity many more people can climb the mountain." Publication: Western Daily Press Distributed by Financial Times Information Limited <> << Copyright ©2003 Financial Times Limited, All Rights Reserved >>
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