ABSTRACT
The onset of schizophrenia may come at any stage of life, though it' is most frequently found at adolescence and early adulthood. Stressful events, or stress within the family, may play a part in bringing on symptoms of schizophrenia – as it may with any kind of mental disturbance. The puzzling nature of schizophrenia is as distressing to the partner or relatives as to the patient – unsure whether there will be one or more episodes of the illness, how acute these will be, or whether it will become chronic. The behaviour of the schizophrenic is also bewildering, upsetting and frightening – as is any change of personality in someone you know well. Some hospitals have a community psychiatric nurse service. An outside person with some authority – such as a psychiatric nurse – can be helpful here, particularly over taking medication. Psychotherapy is rarely used in schizophrenia because of the acute difficulties imposed by the patient's lack of insight.
