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One in twoA common experience | Schizophrenia | Contacts and links A common experienceAbout 25% of all young people suffer mental-health problems such as anxiety, depression and phobias. And deaf young people face more pressures than most: as well as coping with stress about such things as family problems, exams, leaving home and finding a job, they are more likely to feel isolated and more likely to suffer forms of abuse, ranging from playground bullying to sexual abuse. So it’s no surprise that the percentage of deaf young people with mental health problems is higher – in fact double the figure for young people as a whole. If you suffer from anxiety or depression, your reality is that the world is a frightening and miserable place. But remember that these are treatable conditions. In VEE-TV, Sarah talked about dealing with schizophrenia, a severe mental illness, but professional help is available for any mental health problem – from phobias and eating disorders to suicidal feelings. If you feel that you, or anyone you know, may need help, ask your GP for a referral or contact one of the organisations listed at the end of this page. SchizophreniaSchizophrenia has got nothing to do with 'split personality'. The common misconception comes from the fact that the word 'schizophrenia' was coined from two Greek words: schizein, meaning 'to split' and phren, meaning 'mind'. But the word was intended to refer not to split personality but to the fact that with this condition processes of thought, feeling and intention, guiding a person's actions, are no longer interacting to form a coherent whole. The second and perhaps still more damaging misconception about schizophrenia is that sufferers are dangerous. However, violence is not a symptom of schizophrenia, and only at times of acute crisis do levels of violence among people with schizophrenia outstrip those of the general public. But schizophrenia is a serious condition and represents a big risk for sufferers themselves. It can cause intense depression, disturbed behaviour and delusional beliefs. During a crisis, a person with schizophrenia may lose touch with reality, see or hear things that are not there and act in unusual ways in response to these hallucinations. Schizophrenia is treatable, but the medication used for controlling it has unpleasant side-effects and many people find it hard to keep taking it. However, there is hope that improved drugs with better results and fewer side-effects will be available in the future. Schizophrenia can affect men and women from all countries, cultures, backgrounds and walks of life. About 1 in 100 people have one episode, and two-thirds of these go on to have further episodes. Schizophrenia usually starts in the late teens or early twenties, but can also appear for the first time in later years, particularly among elderly women leading an isolated life. Sarah’s schizophrenia first occurred while she was at Bristol University, studying deaf history and feeling stressed. She believes that there should be greater publicity about the illness, and finds it hard that some of her friends don’t want to talk about it. Her aim is to work in the field of mental health herself. Contacts and linksFor more information about eating disorders, see the feature on this website. The National Deaf Mental Health Service covers a third of the UK. Referrals are by GP or consultant psychiatrist only. The following organisations can also provide information, advice or support: Channel
4 Health: Mind British
Deaf Association Health and Counselling Services British
Society for Mental Health and Deafness Sign
(National Society for Mental Health and Deafness) Fellowship
of Depressives Anonymous The Mental
Health Foundation MIND
(National Association for Mental Health) SANE Young
Minds Youth
Access Other links Depression Depression
Central The Health
Index UK Depression Community Mental
Health National
Schizophrenia Fellowship (NSF) Wing
of Madness
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