Environmental factors affecting the course of schizophrenia

Abstract

In the past the Maltese mentality was to hide such inferior citizens and put them into cellars so that they were excluded from interacting with other members of society i.e. they were afraid that other members of the family might not marry, get well paid jobs or get a high status in society especially with those rich and noble families because of this drawback in their family set-up. Proceeding in this way the symptoms flourish and the patient was left illtreated. Others were of the opinion that such patients had evil powers or were possessed by the ' devil and these patients were labelled as witches, who had to be burned to destroy their evil spirits. By the second World War the Maltese mentality seems to have changed a lot due to intermixing with other cultures and such sufferers were being admitted into hospital for treatment. Presently at Mount Carmel Hospital there are -750 - 800 beds occupied, where patients' diagnoses vary from depressions, manic depressive illness, neurotic illnesses and psychosis. Some of these patients become eventually institutionalised. Patients are being put in various wards according to the gravity of their illness, eg. ward ten is for very disturbed chronic patients while ward six and two (males) are for the newly admitted patients. Hospital staff are doing their best to create a healthy environment for patients who are suffering from any mental disturbances or illness which cause is either due to the illness itself or precipitated by any social environment. At the Hospital patients are given medications and are being seen weekly by their psychiatrist. Psychotherapy and occupational therapy are available at the hospital where the patients are helped to reconstruct themselves and their identity, and are enabled to re-integrate themselves back into society. During their stay at the Hospital, relatives are encouraged to visit patients and participate as best they can to help the patient recover from the episode of the illness.