Adolescent Latino Males with Schizophrenia: Mobile Crisis Response

Abstract

Although schizophrenia has a biological basis, the presentation of symptoms and the understanding of the disorder vary among cultures. Service providers who understand these cultural variations are in a better position to provide effective crisis intervention. When a person with schizophrenia goes into crisis (often synonymous with the acute psychotic phase), the intersection of culture, diagnosis, developmental stage, and social setting can be overwhelming to the crisis worker. Roberts’s Seven-Stage Crisis Intervention Model provides a useful framework within which to provide culturally competent crisis intervention. This article applies Roberts’s model to a case involving an adolescent Latino male who has a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Included is a review of literature on mobile crisis intervention with youth, cultural competence, and schizophrenia. Specific treatment recommendations are made for understanding cultural variations, developmental influences, and service delivery with this population. [Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 5:35–55 (2005)]