Randy Schizophrenia Case Study

Diagnosis: Explaining Randy’s Schizophrenia—please write in complete sentences in this section!

1. What genetic factors may have played a part in Randy’s schizophrenia?

Randy’s father was never diagnosed with a mental disorder, but he was known for his paranoia and eccentric behaviors. In addition, his brother committed suicide which infers that he may have had depression. These genetic factors may have played a part in Randy’s schizophrenia.

2. What biochemical abnormalities might account for Randy’s symptoms?

Certain neurons that use the neurotransmitter, dopamine, fire too often and transmit too many messages, thus producing signs of schizophrenia. Abnormalities in brain structures such as enlarged ventricles (brain cavities containing

Assume that instead of being jailed for his offenses, Randy is referred to a community mental health center for treatment planning. You are assigned to be his caseworker. What kind of assessments will you need to do before you begin Randy’s treatment planning?

As Randy’s case manager, the kinds of assessments I would use before beginning Randy’s treatment planning is assessing his problem-solving and social skills, determining what medications are being taken and if they are being taken appropriately, and I would be aware of all possible health care needs. I would also assess the need for community services and the services he is currently receiving.

2. Answer the following concerning Randy’s treatment plan.

a. Does Randy need medication? Why or why not? If he needs medication, what type will you recommend? Antipsychotic drugs decrease symptoms in about 65 percent of schizophrenic patients and therefore I believe the calming effect of antipsychotic drugs could help Randy. For the reason that atypical antipsychotic drugs appear to be more effective than the conventional drugs, I would start Randy on one atypical antipsychotic drug to improve his condition.

b. What treatment modalities would be helpful to Randy in addition to

Even though cognitive-behavior therapy will not get rid of delusions and hallucinations, they may help Randy fix his irregular thought patterns. Community support will assist Randy in receiving services that he needs and present him with social support to get him back on path. Also, family therapy can help Randy’s treatment. Randy’s family and all individuals involved in his life should agree to this treatment, it may be difficult because he walked out on his family however, it would be beneficial to Randy if his family was supportive.

c. What services other than mental health treatment might be beneficial for Randy?

Services other than the mental health treatment that would be beneficial for Randy are sheltered workshops, community support, and supervised residency. “People recovering from schizophrenia handle every day duties, leadership in decision making, teaching in social skills, residential supervision, and vocational counseling, a combination of services sometimes called assertive community treatment” (Comer 466) . Some important features of effective community care programs are coordination services, short-term hospitalization, partial hospitalization, supervised residencies, and occupational training.

d. Randy asks you to tell him when he can expect to get better so he can stop taking his medications. How might you respond to this