Spectrum of Schizophrenia

In my days working in community mental health, I took care of a handful of clients diagnosed with schizophrenia. All fit a fairly similar mold—clearly interacting with something not in the room and having very strange beliefs. I really appreciated Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker. The Galvin family had twelve children and six (all male) were diagnosed with schizophrenia. The book is part narrative and part mental health history. What struck me most is that all the men diagnosed with schizophrenia had slightly different presentations that may not initially appear as schizophrenia. Some appeared to have severe ADHD or autism-spectrum disorder while others simply appeared to have poor emotional regulation. It made me think of schizophrenia as a spectrum similar to how we look at autism.

Despite the devastation this disease caused this family, they have participated in research through the years that has changed the way we understand schizophrenia’s etiology and increased treatment options for those who have schizophrenia.

I also highly recommend the documentary Six Schizophrenic Brothers based on this book.