Psychiatria Danubina, Vol. 30 No. 1, 2018.
Stručni rad
https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2018.35
ETHICAL APPROACH TO PREVENTION OF SCHIZOPHRENIA - CONCEPTS AND CHALLENGES
Kresimir Radic
; University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, Zagreb, Croatia
Marko Curkovic
; University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, Zagreb, Croatia
Dario Bagaric
; Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick, Ireland
Maja Vilibic
; University Hospital Center "Sisters of Mercy", Zagreb, Croatia
Andrea Tomic
; University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, Zagreb, Croatia
Maja Zivkovic
; University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, Zagreb, Croatia
Sažetak
Patients with schizophrenia, nowadays chronic, frequently disabling mental disorder, get initial treatment after detection of a psychotic episode, seemingly late, potentially preventable stage of illness. As our knowledge about the nature of schizophrenia and other diseases of the spectrum is growing, so are the early interventions becoming more possible, and it is important to conceptualize the clinical, legal and moral issues emerging with new preventive treatments. Every intervention, especially in pre-clinical population, demands a careful risk-benefit assessment and having basic bioethical principles - primacy of patient's welfare, beneficience/non-maleficience, autonomy and justice - in mind. We believe that pharmacological treatments, considering today's drugs safety and effectiveness profiles, should stay reserved for cases with higly probable negative outcomes to patient's wellbeing, and that all other low-risk interventions, like psychosocial treatments, should be considered for reducing the conversion to disorder, if possible, or relieving the distress in vulnerable persons, when such vulnerability gets detected. How to recognize persons at risk
before the start of the disorder, without missing the majority of cases or burdening healthy persons with stigma, is another challenge and not only mental health professionals should be included in finding the solutions. The broadest public, and especially the experts that will build the safety-net for the at-risk individuals, should get best possible appropriate education about the schizophrenia in order to stigmatize less and help more.
Ključne riječi
ethics; medical; early diagnosis; family health; genetic predisposition to disease; risk factors; primary prevention; schizophrenia; prevention & control
Hrčak ID:
195964
URI
Datum izdavanja:
16.3.2018.
Posjeta: 1.866 *