Severe Mental Disorders

Abstract

This chapter deals with severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorders, and dementia. These disorders not only pose a huge challenge in terms of their management, but are also very disabling for the persons suffering from them. The care givers of patients, mainly their families, are often burdened by the fluctuating nature and chronicity of these complex disorders. Using the Indian database for each of these disorders, the chapter discusses the epidemiology, course, and outcome for each of them. The phenomenology, including cognition and measurement tools related to these disorders, is also discussed. Finally, the diverse forms of interventions including medical, psychosocial, and community level interventions are delineated.