Describe the disease of focus and its progression of mental illness. Based on the disease and stage it presents, what level (primary, secondary, or tertiary) of care does the patient require?

Writing a memo for anxiety disorder

Schizophrenia is a mental illness characterized by disordered thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It is a chronic and disabling disorder that can significantly disrupt an individual’s ability to function in everyday life. Symptoms of schizophrenia vary depending on the severity of the condition, but commonly include delusions (false beliefs), hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there), strange speech patterns, disconnected thinking or difficulty in forming coherent sentences, social withdrawal and paranoia.

In its early stages, schizophrenia may go undetected due to milder symptoms such as anxiety or depression. As it progresses individuals may experience increased confusion and fragmented speech; delusions become more prominent and intense episodes can occur without warning which may require hospital admission for assessment and treatment. In later stages of this disorder individuals often experience long-term cognitive deficits including memory loss, lack of concentration and attention span issues; episodes of psychosis can become more frequent with poorer responses to medications.

Primary care treatment for schizophrenia includes medication management from a psychiatrist or primary care physician (PCP). Psychosocial interventions such as psychotherapy or supportive counseling are important components in the overall treatment plan for recovery from schizophrenia along with lifestyle adjustments such as learning how to cope with stressors while avoiding triggers that may cause periods of decompensation. Secondary care provides specialized services such as assertive community treatment teams who provide support outside the home environment especially during times when an individual’s symptoms are deteriorating; they also offer respite services when needed so family members can take breaks from caring for their loved ones at home while providing them access to further medical resources if needed. Tertiary care consists mainly of hospitalization whenever necessary due to acute exacerbations related to severe symptoms where intensive observation is required until stability is achieved for transfer back into outpatient settings where long term management plans will be implemented according to each patient’s needs.