Paranoid Schizophrenia Secondary to Physical and Emotional Abuse by Spouse: A Case Report

Abstract

Schizophrenia, which is distinguished by psychotic symptoms and frequently leads to social and vocational decline, persists to be a challenge in terms of its aetiology and treatment. Physical and emotional abuse from the partner can lead to paranoid schizophrenia. Paranoid schizophrenia patient shows disturbed thought process due to several causative agents such as chemical and structural dysfunction and environmental influences. Further patient have poor insight, experience disorder of thought and have negative symptoms. A 32 year old female patient was brought to psychiatric department by her mother with the presenting complaints of acute symptoms which include delusion of percussion, delusion of reference, delusion of infidelity, auditory hallucination, suspicious behavior and restlessness. Prior to the current situation patient have taken I week of treatment and visit the psychiatrist for follow up. Clinical features and mental status examination met the criteria for paranoid schizophrenia and administration of antipsychotics to the patient. The client was under the observation for 1 week. The drug therapy was helpful to the client. The course of the disorder in the client was ‘episodic with stable deficit’. The symptoms of the client were reduced and she was stable.