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MEDICAL RESOURCES

medical fact sheets and resources | insight | consequences of delayed treatment  
victimization | assisted outpatient treatment | these are brain diseases

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"A delusion by definition is a false belief. A person thinks he's part of the CIA or the Mafia's out to get him, whatever .... now if you believe it, to you, it's not false, is it? And therefore, how can you see that you have a symptom? You can't. And therefore, somebody tells you you're mentally ill. 
- Why am I mentally ill? 
- Because you believe you're in the CIA. 
- I am in the CIA. 
So it virtually becomes impossible for the person with the disorder to understand that they have the disorder."
- Fred Frese explains anosognosia on ABC's "UpClose," August 2, 2002

Medical fact sheets and resources

Insight

Approximately 40 percent of all individuals with severe mental illnesses (i.e., schizophrenia and manic-depressive illness) are not receiving treatment at any given time. A major reason why so many severely psychiatrically ill individuals are not being treated is that, because of the effects of the illness on their brain, they lack awareness of their illness. (For more information, see the fact sheet on lack of insight.)

Studies have shown that approximately half of all patients with schizophrenia and mania have markedly impaired awareness of their illness as measured by tests of insight; thus they are similar to some patients with cerebrovascular accidents (strokes) and with Alzheimer's disease. Such individuals consistently refuse to take medication because they do not believe they are sick. In most cases they will take medication only under some form of assisted treatment. 

Some helpful pieces on lack of insight.

Summaries of the following articles, graciously prepared by Dr. Xavier Amador, describe the clinical aspects of lack of insight in people with severe mental illness.

Consequences of delayed treatment

Delaying treatment for people suffering from severe mental illnesses can result in worsened clinical outcomes. 

Studies document some of the adverse effects of delaying treatments such as: increased treatment resistance; worsening severity of symptoms; increased hospitalizations; and delayed remission of symptoms. Such studies support the contention that early intervention is important for clinical reasons.

Summaries of the following articles, prepared by Dr. Richard Wyatt, describe the adverse consequences of delayed treatment for persons with severe mental illness. Thanks to Dr. Wyatt for his work to prepare this information.

Victimization

Although crimes and violent acts committed BY individuals with untreated severe mental illness continue to be widely reported, most crimes committed AGAINST them are not recorded or given as much credence by officials. (For more information, see the briefing paper on victimization.)

Purse snatchings and the stealing of disability checks are common, but sadly assaults, rapes and murders are not rare. As the following summaries of studies indicate, individuals with untreated severe psychiatric disorders are much more likely - as much as 2.7 times more likely - to be the victims of violence than the average citizen.

Assisted outpatient treatment

Studies show that assisted outpatient treatment reduces hospital stays, violence and arrests, and improves chances of recovery for people with severe mental illnesses. For more information, see our briefing paper on assisted outpatient treatment.

Evidence schizophrenia is a disease of the brain

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