What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition that causes a range of different psychological symptoms including: 

• Hallucinations - hearing or seeing things that do not exist
• Delusions - unusual beliefs not based on reality which often contradict the evidence
• Muddled thoughts based on the hallucinations or delusions
• Changes in behaviour

Doctors often describe schizophrenia as a psychotic illness. This means sometimes a person may not be able to distinguish their own thoughts and ideas from reality.

The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown. However, most experts believe the condition is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. It is thought certain things make you more vulnerable to developing schizophrenia, and certain situations can trigger the condition.

Schizophrenia is one of the most common serious mental health conditions. About 1 in 100 people will experience schizophrenia in their lifetime, with many continuing to lead normal lives.

Schizophrenia is most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 35. Men and women are equally affected. It is important that schizophrenia is diagnosed as early as possible, as the chances of recovery improve the earlier it is treated. Many people recover from schizophrenia, although they may have periods when symptoms return (relapses). Support and treatment can help reduce the impact of the condition on day-to-day life, Schizophrenia Assoc Ireland / Shine Ireland Information. 

LEARNING SKILLS & DEVELOPMENT

The majority of people with Schizophrenia lead a typical life, and helped by modern therapies, some may go months or years between episodes.

Parents of infants, toddlers and young children with disabilities can access the HSEʼs Early Intervention Teams. These multi-disciplinary teams consist of a range of professionals with expertise in child development including medical professionals, psychologists, social workers, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. They provide assessment and intervention services to the 0-5 age group.

If a parent has concerns regarding their childʼs developmental progress, they may seek to have the child referred for an Assessment of Need by the HSE. The assessment may screen for concerns in relation to the childʼs physical, cognitive, emotional, social and adaptive behaviour and identify areas of need. Following the assessment, a HSE Liaison Officer is required to prepare a service statement within a month of the assessment being completed. This service statement will state what services the child will require and an action plan will be developed to deal with how these are to be provided subject to resources.

Parents seeking an HSE Assessment of Need can ask their GP, Public Health Nurse or the childʼs Consultant to refer the child or they can make a parental referral by contacting their local HSE clinic.

Learning Strategies and Supports

Schizophrenia medication may cause side effects that interfere with concentration and memory. Students affected in this way will benefit from having extra time to complete classwork and assignments. They may also need to have instructions or other information repeated for them, NCSE Primary & Secondary Resources.

There are levels and resources of support within learning in FET Further Education & Training courses, Reasonable Accomodations in FET 2022. 

Supports available

Secondary Education Level:

A student who has been receiving special education support or resources while in Primary School is eligible for continuation of support at secondary level, once they continue to have a special educational need.

The same general provisions he/she received in primary school apply at Secondary Level. This typically includes specialist teaching from a Learning Support or Special Education Resource teacher (both now referred to as Special Education teachers).

This support is provided based on need, with the number of hours of support determined by the Individual Education Plan (IEP) drawn up in the last year of primary school., NCSE Second level Information.

RACE (Reasonable Accommodation in Certificate Examinations)- specific learning disabilities are recognised as giving rise to certain difficulties for students, students with permanent or long-term conditions*, which will significantly impair their performance in state exams, may apply to the State Examinations Commission (SEC) for a reasonable accommodation(s) to be made to facilitate them taking the examinations. The Race scheme aims to assist students who are at a disadvantage due to a disability, by facilitating access to the state certificate examinations. There are levels and resources of support within FET courses, Reasonable Accomodations in FET 2022. 

Details of the scheme of reasonable accommodations RACE State Examinations Commission website.

There are levels and resources of support within FET courses, Reasonable Accomodations in FET 2022. 

Third Level Education

Details of the DARE screening criteria are available DARE Mental health conditions information.

Research findings from AHEAD released in 2022 show that, of the total disabled student population (18,097) at Third Level 2021/2022 represented in the research, Mental Health Condition category at 27.1% (n=3,919) and the Significant Ongoing Illness category at 12.6% (n=2,284). The full report from AHEAD is available AHEAD Students with Disabilities in Higher Education 2021/2022.

Common Educational Supports - a range of common educational supports are in place at Third Level for students with disabilities. These include:

• Priority registration
• Reader service
• Use of audio-tape to record lectures and tutorials
• Assistive technology
• Materials in alternative formats
• Word-processing facilities
• Photocopying Facilities 
• Copies of lecturer's notes and/or overheads 
• Notetaker
• Time extension on out-of-lecture assignments
• Special Library Arrangements
• Counselling and Medical Services
• Study skills courses
• Examination provisions 

These and other supports available are outlined in detail in our 'Third Level Supports' area.

There are many different types of Assitive Technology to support you in your learning, AHEAD Assistive Tech Hive.

You don’t have to be eligible for DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) to get support in college. All students with a verified disability, regardless of whether they come through DARE or not, can avail of a variety of academic, personal and social supports while studying at third level, accesscollege.ie.

In the Workplace

Many organisations now make public claims to be an "equal opportunities employer". This suggests the existence of an equal opportunities policy (EOP), which is a policy statement adopted by the organisation declaring an intent not to discriminate and, further, to promote equality by taking steps to aid disadvantaged groups.  Such employers are in effect promising to avoid discrimination on grounds of sex or marital status, and may also make such a commitment in relation to people with a disability and racial and ethnic minorities, WRC Workplace Relations Commission. 

To Disclose or Not to Disclose?

If you are feeling fine and your Schizophrenia symptoms have not created any limitations for you at work, then you may choose not to disclose your condition. You may want to tell your supervisors and coworkers, especially if you require accommodations to be made at work, AHEAD A Guide to Disclosure, 2023. 

NDA National Disability Authority Accessbility, communications, procurement guide, NDA Toolkit. 

Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant (WEAG)

If you are a person with a disability who has been offered employment or are in employment, and require a more accessible workplace or adapted equipment to do your job, you or your employer may be able to get a grant towards the costs of adapting premises or equipment. Details of WEAG grants available and how to apply are available, Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant (WEAG).

Career Choice

Skills for workplace success fall into two main categories: hard skills and and soft skills. Hard skills are job-specific and they vary, depending upon the industry or field in which you want to work. For example, a graphic artist must have the computer skills that go with that job.

Soft skills are the personal characteristics that go with a variety of jobs - they include social skills, problem solving, communication, time management, and organisation. For example, a person who prefers to work alone might find a research job particularly appealing, Explore Career Skills in more detail.

People may benefit from completing a Personal interest profiler and aptitude testing, which will help them identify potential career paths.

People with Schizophrenia can, and do, work in all walks of life. Many manage to succeed at study and in high-level jobs. In addition to medication and ongoing therapy, developing personal strategies for keeping their schizophrenia at bay is key. 

Vigilance about symptoms is vital - identifying 'triggers' to prevent a more full blown experience works for one person, who is as a coordinator at a nonprofit organisation. For example, if being with people in close quarters for too long can set off symptoms, build in some alone time during the work day, or when you travel with friends etc.

Famous People with Schizophrenia

Nobel Laureate Scientist John Nash, Writer Jack Kerouac, Songwriter & Musician Brian Wilson, Sportsman Lionel Aldridge,