In his article “Schizophrenia: A Sibling’s Tale”, Stephan Kirby argues that family members of patients with a serious mental disorder suffer from serious emotional distress, and thus, they also need help from medical doctors consulting the patient. The article tells the story of a girl whose brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Discussing the girl’s reaction to what is happening with her brother, the author makes conclusions that may help medical doctors fulfill their professional obligations in a more effective way. The primary purpose of this article seems to inform the readers about the effective strategies that can be implemented in order to help the families of the affected people to go through a number of hardships connected with the disease of their family member.
The article under consideration discussed a number of problems that family members of a person diagnosed with schizophrenia may face. The author addresses particular situations in which it becomes evident how difficult it is for people to have a family member whose conduct is out of control because of mental disease. The girl who is shown as the main object of the article’s research is especially affected by what is happening to her brother because her phren is not formed yet, and thus, she is more vulnerable to all of the occurrences that are the consequences of her brother’s disease. Kirby addresses many experiences that the girl has in interacting with her brother, their consequences, and the girl’s feelings after such interaction. He shows that unless the girl is offered professional help, she may also develop a significant psychological disorder (Kirby, 2009). Kirby argues that to prevent all the undesirable consequences of this situation in the family, the girl needs sufficient rest combined with wholesome activities and regular consultation with a psychologist. In addition, regular sports activities may be of great help to such children as well.
The article encourages thinking about a special risk category in society that may be also affected by serious mental disorders, and this is the category of family members of a person diagnosed with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia. Kirby proves that among the family members of the affected person, the individuals who are more subjected to the danger of developing mental disorders are children. This is an important finding that will help save thousands of children from the undesirable consequences of their family members’ mental illnesses.
Critically reflecting on the findings of the article under consideration, it should be stated that its author have raised an important issue. According to the latest statistics, more and more family members of a person diagnosed with a serious mental disease are in a risk zone of developing a mental disorder as well (Fiorillo, Bassi, de Girolamo, Catapano & Romeo, 2011; Maj & Sartorius, 1999). Thus, the article encourages thinking of effective methods and preventive measures that would help family members of mentally ill people protect themselves from the high risks of becoming ill as well.
In conclusion, the article ““Schizophrenia: A Sibling’s Tale” by Stephan Kirby provides a number of facts proving that the families of people affected by mental illnesses are also in high risk groups of becoming mentally ill, and thus, they need professional help. In addition, the article offers practical advice that can be utilized to help such people.
References
Fiorillo, A., Bassi, M., de Girolamo, G., Catapano, F., & Romeo, F. (2011). The impact of a psychoeducational intervention on family members’ views about schizophrenia: Results from the OASIS Italian multi-centre study. International Journal Of Social Psychiatry, 57(6), 596-603.
Kirby, S. (2009). Schizophrenia: A Sibling’s Tale. Mental Health Practice, 13(1), 18-22.
Maj, M., & Sartorius, N. (1999). Schizophrenia. New York: Wiley.