Beyond the Clinic Walls: Fostering Well-Being in a Client with Schizoaffective Disorder (SAD) Through Home Care and Clozapine Therapy - A Case Report

Abstract

Schizoaffective disorder SAD is a chronic severe and disabling illness associated with concurrent presentation of symptoms of schizophrenia and affective disorders. The mainstay of treatment is a combination of antipsychotic medications and depending on the subtype of schizoaffective disorder either mood stabilizers or antidepressants are given. Clozapine is a second-generation antipsychotic used in the treatment of SAD. Clozapine-induced agranulocytosis has the highest risk of occurrence during the first few months of treatment. Other common side effects are sialorrhea constipation dehydration and hyperglycaemia. Adequately managing side effects can improve adherence and quality of life. Physical health should be monitored at each clinical review particularly in the first few months of treatment to reduce the occurrence of serious sometimes fatal adverse reactions. Many clients find clozapine to help with their psychosis but they often need to balance the positive effect of psychosis with some of the side effects that clozapine can cause.