Call for better support for those suffering with schizophrenia

By The Press Association5th October 2015News EnglandDepression, Mental Health, News England, Vulnerable Adults

People with schizophrenia are left unable to work and struggle with relationships because they do not get the right support, a charity has said.

A survey of more than 1,000 people with the condition and their carers found long delays in accessing talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which have been shown to be beneficial.

Schizophrenia is a long-term conditions that can cause hallucinations, delusions not based in reality, muddled thoughts and changes in behaviour.

According to the NHS, schizophrenia is one of the most common serious mental health conditions.

About one in 100 people will experience schizophrenia in their lifetime. People are most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 35.

The new poll, for the charity Rethink Mental Illness, found 89% of people felt not getting the right support had had a negative impact on their quality of life.

Just 28% had received the recommended minimum of 16 hours of talking therapies, while 24% had to wait over a year to get any at all.

Of those surveyed, 87% felt a lack of support had impacted on the severity of their symptoms and 82% said it had a negative impact on their ability to stay physically well.

Some 87% said not getting the right support had also a negative impact on their ability to maintain important relationships

Meanwhile, 67% had struggled to stay in or return to education, while 79% had trouble staying in or returning to work.

Mark Winstanley, chief executive of Rethink Mental Illness, said: “Schizophrenia is not a rare illness at all and what’s often misunderstood is that people with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and psychosis can lead a normal life if they get the right support.

“But as our survey shows, far too many people are not getting that, and that’s having a very real and devastating impact on the day to day things most of us take for granted.

“Work, studying, relationships, a social life, keeping fit and healthy – everyone has a right to live the lives they want to lead, so why are so many with schizophrenia telling us they feel rejected from society, isolated, and having to fight battle after battle to get the right support?”

Tracey Butler, 41, from Basingstoke, has schizoaffective disorder and said she came close to losing everything.

She said: “When I was first diagnosed, I attempted suicide because I just couldn’t see a way of living with this diagnosis.

“Getting the right care was hard. I felt like I had to overcome hurdle after hurdle, including people telling me I would never lead a normal life, would never be able to have children. It was just unbearable.

“But slowly, with the right support and treatment, I have managed to get to a good place. I have a beautiful son who is 14, a wonderful partner of eight years, I work full-time and have bought my own home.”