So, the care of people with schizophrenia in Britain is in the news.
Sadly, there’s not much (if anything) different anywhere else I’ve worked or read about. People with schizophrenia often get no, or inadequate, care – delivered often in unhelpful environments or ways. Like people with other major psychiatric illnesses (though quite probably worse), they die very young. In many cases, meaningful relationships and satisfying employment are (kept) out of reach.
Sometimes the illness is such that our current treatments are inadequate, (and many of them do very clearly have major problems of their own), but sometimes (often?) it is the case that they are failed by the service – and by society.
We have come a long way in psychiatry, but there is still a long way to go.
