Sunday, May 30, 2010

Anosognosia and AOT

One of the main reasons that assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) laws such as New York's Kendra's Law and Pennsylvania's proposed SB 251 and HB 2186 are necessary is that up to fifty percent of individuals with schizophrenia and forty percent of those with bipolar disorder suffer from anosognosia, a lack of awareness of their illness that often leads to an individual not accepting treatment.

Recently, NAMI National posted information about anosognosia and requested that the American Psychiatric Association (APA) include anosognosia in the next revision of the DSM-V that will be published in 2012 or 2013.

As stated in this document, anosognosia is a "neurological syndrome that leaves individuals unaware that they are sick," and it has a "biological basis and is caused by damage to the brain." And, as already stated in the DSM-IV-TR (Text Revision version), anosognosia "predisposes the individual to non-compliance with treatment," and "it has been found to be predicative of higher relapse rates, increased number of involuntary hospital admissions, poorer psychosocial functioning, and a poorer course of illness."

Yet, at the public hearings on the Pennsylvania's AOT legislation, opponents of a sensible AOT law did not mention anosognosia at all.

The solution offered by those opposed to AOT for all the individuals who have an untreated severe mental illness who often end up homeless, victimized, or in the revolving door of frequent hospitalizations or incarceration is that we just need to increase services in our state even though Pennsylvania is the second highest in our country in spending for mental health services and programs. However, someone who doesn't believe they have an illness would not seek out or accept even the best services available, so an increase of the quality or quantity of services or programs would not benefit them.

The real answer for those who have a severe mental illness and anosognosia, who would also meet all of the stringent criteria of an assisted outpatient treatment law such as Pennsylvania's proposed SB 251 and HB 2186 is to provide assisted outpatient treatment in the community, a much less restrictive environment than being hospitalized or incarcerated, the latter, jails and prisons, which have now become more frequent than hospitalizations in our state by a ratio of 2:1 according to a report by the Treatment Advocacy Center and the National Sheriffs' Association.

The time has come for a compassionate intervention law in Pennsylvania. If you are interested in joining our effort for the passage of HB 2186 and SB 251 or would just like additional information on assisted outpatient treatment laws, please contact the Treatment Advocacy Center at 703-294-6001/6002.

No comments: