A nurse is providing education to a group of staff members about schizophrenia. Which of the following age groups should the nurse include as the age when schizophrenia is typically diagnosed?

Delusions, hallucinations, and alterations in speech are characteristic symptoms of psychosis, which can occur in various psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Dopamine antagonists, also known as antipsychotic medications, are the primary pharmacological treatment for psychosis.

A Mood stabilizers are primarily used to manage mood swings in conditions like bipolar disorder. While they can help stabilize mood, they are not typically the first-line treatment for psychotic symptoms like delusions and hallucinations.

B. SSRIs are antidepressant medications that primarily target serotonin levels in the brain. They are used to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, and some other mood disorders.

D. Benzodiazepines are a class of medications primarily used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures.

D. Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a side effect of long-term use of first-generation antipsychotic medications, such as those commonly used to treat schizophrenia. It is characterized by involuntary, repetitive movements of the face, tongue, lips, and other parts of the body.

A. Impaired ability to regulate body temperature is more commonly associated with conditions such as heatstroke or certain neurological disorders affecting the hypothalamus, and it typically presents with symptoms such as fever or hypothermia.

B. Extrapyramidal symptoms encompass a range of movement disorders caused by dysfunction of the extrapyramidal system, which includes the basal ganglia.

C. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a rare but potentially life-threatening side effect of antipsychotic medications, characterized by fever, altered mental status, muscle rigidity, and autonomic dysfunction.