Schizophrenia is considered to be one of the most sever psychiatric disorders. The incidence of the condition each year is approximately 15 in every 100,000 people, and the lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia is 0.7% (Tandon et al., 2008). Family history and genetics have been identified as contributing to the development of schizophrenia in 80% of cases (Tandon et al., 2008). Some environmental factors associated with increased likelihood of the development of schizophrenia include prenatal malnutrition or infection, use of cannabis, birth complications, and winter birth (Tandon et al., 2008). However, the mechanisms by which genetic and genetic-environmental factors interact to cause the onset of schizophrenia are not well understood. It is important that effective treatments be developed to help individuals cope with this serious and debilitating psychiatric disorder. What types of therapies outside of pharmaceuticals have been found to be successful in the treatment of schizophrenia? Is any type of therapy more effective than the others in the management of symptoms associated with schizophrenia?
Study objectives and hypothesis
The proposed study in the present discussion will explore what factors cause or lead up to the manifestation of schizophrenia and whether any actions can be taken in order to prevent development of the psychiatric disorder. Is it possible that certain interventions could effectively act to prevent onset of the condition? The three interventions under investigation in this proposed study are exercise, cognitive therapy, and aspirin use. The study will examine the histories of exercise, cognitive therapy, and aspirin use among individuals with schizophrenia, targeting their experience with these factors prior to developing schizophrenia. Do individuals that are especially physically active demonstrate less risk for developing schizophrenia? How about people that have undergone a lot of cognitive therapy? Are they potentially at less risk of the disorder? Does regular aspirin use possibly offer some protection against developing schizophrenia? Based on prior research findings regarding effective non-pharmaceutical interventions for schizophrenia, it may be hypothesized that exercise and physical activity, cognitive therapy, and aspirin use may all provide some sort of protective effects against the development of schizophrenia among individuals predisposed to the disorder due to family history.
Research background
Cognitive therapy has been used to treat schizophrenia with some success (Eack et al., 2010). In particular, cognitive rehabilitation strategies have been demonstrated to be effective in improving cognitive functioning in schizophrenia patients. However, the reasons why this is effective and the underlying changes that happen during cognitive treatments that result in cognitive improvements in individuals with schizophrenia are not well understood. In order to better understand the physiological processes at work with this type of therapy, Eack et al. (2010) sought to examine changes in brain morphology that occurred during cognitive rehabilitation therapy in comparison with supportive types of therapy. The cognitive rehabilitation consisted of computer-assisted neurocognitive training as well as group-based neurocognitive exercises, while supportive therapy entailed illness management through psychoeducation and instruction in applied coping strategies (Eack et al., 2010). Brain morphology was assessed using structural magnetic resonance imaging. Results of this study indicated that gray matter of the brain was significantly more preserved in patients that underwent cognitive enhancement therapy in comparison with those who received supportive therapy. Improved cognition was associated with less gray matter loss in several areas of the brain. Based on these results, the researchers concluded that cognitive enhancement rehabilitation effectively offered neurobiologic enhancement and protection for individuals with schizophrenia, which also resulted in improvements in cognitive outcomes for the long-term.
Another non-pharmaceutical approach to the treatment of schizophrenia includes exercise therapy. Gorczynski & Faulkner (2010) investigated what effects exercise and physical activity programs had on the mental health of individuals with schizophrenia. They conducted this examination through a systematic review of scientific literature on this topic. The results of the study indicated that exercise significantly improved the experience of negative symptoms of mental state associated with schizophrenia. Also, physical health overall was found to improve due to participation in exercise and physical activity programs. Furthermore, yoga was found to result in even better mental state outcomes than exercise, and yoga also resulted in significantly better quality of life scores. Based on these results the researchers concluded that exercise-based programs have healthful effects both physically and mentally, and they could prove to be of great value for improving the overall well-being of individuals with schizophrenia.
Along these same lines, yoga therapy was investigated as a potential complementary treatment for schizophrenia...
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