Introduction
There is a notion of stigma, accompanying a variety of psychological disorders. People, having these stigmas or labels associated with them personally, are often treated as defective and, thus, exposed to rejection from society members. As Whitbourne (2017) states, “the negative attitudes attached to psychological disorders exist even in our current society” (p. 6). The following case study proves that this concept is constantly being referred to; the statement makes particular sense when speaking of the maximum-security prison inmates, who are often subjected to mental disorders. By the example of a 65-year old Middle-Eastern prisoner, one sees that delusional disorders, verging on schizophrenia, cause problems to not only this particular person but make the surrounding involved as well.
Main body
Regarding the types of disorders that this complainant is suffering from, one can figure out the two florid ones: delusional disorder and schizophrenia. The occurrence of delusions is clearly tracked through the tendency to produce compulsive ideas and express unfounded beliefs in conspiracy and prison takeover plans. Researchers like Bergner and Bunford (2017) “support the position that ‘mental disorder’ designates a state of disability” (p. 32).
In this particular case, one operates by the inmate’s inability to assess the situation rationally. The prisoner seeks any opportunity to support his overvalued ideas and finds a suitable feeding in newspaper articles devoted to terrorism. This fact catalyzes all the compulsive thoughts and leads to disease aggravation. Thus, the delusional disorder becomes transformed into schizophrenia with strong beliefs in a conspiracy theory. Naturally, people suffering from this severe disorder are more likely to be dangerous than the general population. In their case, closer attention from COs is required.
According to Whitbourne (2017), schizophrenia “develops only when certain environment conditions are in place” (p. 154). The presence of such a factor as newspaper articles serves as the major background for the disease progression. It is known that the complainant has been suffering from delusions for a while (more than 1-2 months). Therefore, it is logical to assume that those have had enough premises to transform into a more complex form of mental disorder due to the inmate’s mind’s potential vulnerability. Eventually, a person having these mental issues requires specialized treatment and referrals.
Considering the fact this person is a prisoner, one cannot apply for a hospital referral letter and recommend an inpatient treatment. The only available option is to gather an expert consultation group and decide how to treat this acute state of mental disturbance (Long, 2015). This group would also be responsible for treatment planning and prescribing antipsychotic medications (neuroleptics) that operate on both serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitters.
Regarding the fact that there are many complexities in the treatment of individuals with schizophrenia, both clinicians and researchers recognize the need to take an individualized approach to the matter. As Dobransky (2014) states, “treatment options often depend on the social status, race, and gender of both clients and carers” (p. 83). Therefore, it is of high importance to treat an individual as an equally intelligent and thinking personality and, by all means, not to demonstrate one’s disinclination to establish a contact.
The inmate from this particular case study is supposed to be heard attentively by COs and expressed a mutual disquietude about his judgments and concerns. No signs of negativism or rejection are allowed since, according to the ‘benevolent othering’ model, patients with mental disorders are “spoken in the ways that are ostensibly positive” (Grey, 2016). Such kind of practice leads to an individual’s faster recovery.
In what refers to the inmate’s disposition to schizophrenia, there was an obvious preliminary factor, leading to delusional disorders – anxiety caused by guilt feeling. Naturally, he felt guilt for killing his own daughter and was deeply stressed by this fact. Moreover, the circumstances appeared to be more severe than he could imagine, as the subject of the case study was given a life sentence for the crime he had committed.
Being rejected by society, this individual has sunk deep into his thoughts and judgments about the actions he took, which draws a parallel between the interdependence of poor health and established stigma (Benoit, McCarthy & Jansson, 2015). Considering the fact the prisoner is a highly religious person, one may suggest his consciousness leaves no room for an excuse for what was done. In such of state of mind people quite often get exposed to depressions and mood disorders, which may lead to the occurrence of delusions.
Conclusion
As a conclusion to the case study, one may suggest that interrelation of social stigma and psychological behavior is closely tracked through the example of the inmate, imprisoned for murdering his own daughter. Being regarded as an outcast, this person has applied for deep self-analysis and found the reflection of his compulsive ideas in the reality distortion models, such as conspiracy theory and overvalued judgments. Eventually, this fact led to concerns and rising unrest among correction officers, which proves the statement that schizophrenics represent danger and require immediate specialized treatment.
References
Benoit, C., McCarthy, B., & Jansson, M. (2015). Occupational stigma and mental health: Discrimination and depression among front-line service workers. Canadian Public Policy, 41(2), 61-69.
Bergner, R. M., & Bunford, N. (2017). A mental disorder is a disability concept, not a behavioral one. Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology, 24(1), 25-40
Dobransky, K. (2014). Managing madness in the community: The challenge of contemporary mental health care. New Brunswick, CA: Rutgers University Press.
Grey, F. (2016). Benevolent othering: Speaking positively about mental health service users. Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology, 23(3), 241-251.
Long, V. (2015). Destigmatising mental illness? Professional politics and public education in Britain, 1870–1970. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press.
Whitbourne, S.K. (2017). Abnormal psychology: Clinical perspectives on psychological disorders (8th ed.). Massachusetts, MA: University of Massachusetts Amherst.