“You Aren’t Going to Cut On Me!” Urgent Medical Decisions for Patients With Schizophrenia

Decision-making capacity assessments are a common part of psychiatric consultations,1 with a range of 4 –25% cited in the literature.2–5 The presence of a chronic psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia, complicates these assessments.6–10 Depending on the phase of illness, severity, and treatment status, individuals with schizophrenia may have an elevated risk of impairments of decision-making capacity due to positive psychotic symptoms, poor insight, and cognitive dysfunction.6,7,11,12 Additionally, negative symptoms, including apathy and avolition, may impact capacity.

Source: Psychosomatics - January 19, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Mina Boazak, Michael J. Peterson, William R. Smith, Zachary Hudson, Ann C. Schwartz Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research