UAMS opens Fayetteville clinic for schizophrenia care
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A University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences outpatient clinic in Fayetteville is looking to help patients with schizophrenia early in their illness, with teams focused on treating the disease in a coordinated, specialized manner.
Why it matters: Diagnosing schizophrenia early, while filling a gap for comprehensive treatment, is crucial to helping people manage the disease and a primary part of the Odyssey Clinic's mission, officials told Axios.
- Consequences of untreated schizophrenia can include self-medicating with drugs, legal trouble, struggling to keep a job, relationship problems and homelessness, psychiatrist Andrea McMahon and clinical manager Elizabeth Demoret told Axios.
What they're saying: "Our goal is to catch people early in their illness to change the trajectory of their lives," McMahon said.
- Schizophrenia affects about 1% of the U.S. population. The local rate isn't any higher, she said, but Fayetteville is home to a college campus with tens of thousands of people in the age group most likely to experience their first episode.
Context: UAMS already has a similar clinic in Little Rock, and it made sense to bring it to NWA, where the organization has a presence via its Northwest Regional Campus, McMahon said.
The Odyssey Clinic opened in December and offers medication plans, therapy for patients and families, as well as career and school case management.
- McMahon likened the clinic's approach to a diabetes patient needing multiple professionals who can manage medication, nutrition and lifestyle. It's more effective than short check-ins with a psychiatrist every few weeks and gives the team more chances to address medication side effects that could cause patients to go off their prescription, she said.
- Families can learn strategies from each other, and those who have seen improvement in their loved ones' lives after getting help can offer hope to those starting the journey, Demoret said.
Schizophrenia symptoms can include hallucinations, delusions, incoherent speaking, unusual movements or lack of motivation, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
- People with schizophrenia are sometimes incorrectly diagnosed with depression, because initial symptoms like isolation are similar, McMahon said.
- The auditory hallucinations that some patients have can make getting through the day or focusing extremely difficult, she said.
- "That takes a lot of mental energy to have that experience," McMahon said. "It's very distracting and disorienting for a lot of people."
How it works: The clinic can take up to 24 patients as young as 15 years old. Patients or their families can contact the clinic directly to seek help, and it also receives referrals from behavioral health facilities.
- All patients are treated voluntarily, and the space does not have inpatient beds.
What's next: The clinic plans to be a resource for education and outreach on schizophrenia and host events to educate the public on the disease.