People with schizophrenia have been increasingly getting medical treatment, although the disease has been cast in a negative light due to crimes committed by patients, data shows.

A man in his 40s was reportedly arrested Sunday for assaulting a gas station employee in Yeongdeungpo District at around 7 a.m., attacking people at a nearby park, and then assailing a taxi driver with a brick. The man had schizophrenia, bringing the condition back into the public’s eye.

According to the local police, one out of the four victims was severely injured by the attacks. The attacker surnamed Choi had no memory of the incident.

The list of homicides and assaults committed by people with schizophrenia has been publicized widely, fueling negative public attention - a phenomenon that both experts and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service noted was not “ideal.”

“The perception that people diagnosed with schizophrenia are cast as criminals is not ideal. Schizophrenia is not as severe as we think it to be and is a widespread disease that affects or has the potential to affect about 500,000 Koreans,” HIRA said.

“We don’t know how, where, and if the patient [arrested Sunday] was getting treatment. Most schizophrenia patients who harm others often are not getting enough or proper treatment or not getting treated at all. Those who get treatment and go to the center have a low probability of giving rise to these incidents,” said Professor Lee Myung-soo, a director at the Korean Society for Schizophrenia Research.

“Schizophrenic patients also commit many suicides - much more than the average person -but not many people care that they live or die. But when they do harm other people then it becomes an issue,” he added.

The mental disorder gained extensive public scrutiny following the wanton murder incident where a man with schizophrenia stabbed a woman to death at a public restroom last year. Lee pointed out that homicides by patients are far and few in between but cast into the limelight whenever they occur.

“It’s estimated that around 900 homicides occur each year, but not all are reported in the news. However, the media places a much higher priority on crimes committed by schizophrenic patients, creating stigma,” Lee said.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects an individual’s ability to interpret reality and is characterized by hallucinations, delusions and disordered thinking and behavior that can be disabling.

Data from HIRA showed about 30 percent were in their 40s, 22 percent were 30s, and 22 percent were 50s. More women than men got treatment with 63,765 female patients and 55,397 recorded to have received treatment. The number of patients getting treatment also rose 6 percent over the past four years since to stand at 120,070 last year.

According to reports, a treatment regimen consisting of medical, psychological counseling and self-help resources can help patients lead productive lives.

Some of the most common schizophrenia medications are Risperdal (ingredient: risperidone) developed by Janssen, Zyprexa (ingredient: olanzapine) by Eli Lilly and Company, Seroquel (ingredient: quetiapine fumarate) by AstraZeneca, and Geodon (ingredient: ziprasidone) by Pfizer.

However, drug and treatment compliance by patients remains a looming problem for patients who often refuse to acknowledge that they have the condition or to take medication. There is also a lack of infrastructure that allows for maintenance of patients, according to Lee.

“There’s no guarantee that outpatients return to the hospital for treatment. Even though the doctor may keep advising on continuous therapy, the patient needs to come into the hospital for it to work,” Lee said. “There should be supportive systems such as linkage with local communities and a mental health rehabilitation center linked to the hospital to allow for monitoring.”

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