2. Introduction
Also known as senile squalor syndrome,
It is a behavioral disorder characterized by extreme self-neglect,
domestic squalor, (unsanitary living condition)
social withdrawal,
apathy,( lack of feeling, emotion, interest and concern)
compulsive hoarding of garbage
refusal of help plus lack of shame.
Sufferers may also display symptoms of catatonia (abnormality of
movement and behavior)
3. The condition was first recognized in
1966 and designated Diogenes syndrome
by Clark et al.
Frontal lobe impairment may play a part
in the causation.
Research suggests that dementia might
be present in 15 percent of people with
the condition, but this is not the only
cause.
Diogenes Syndrome tends to occur
among the elderly.
4. Characteristics
The patients are generally highly intelligent,
and the personality traits that can be seen
frequently in patients are aggressiveness,
stubbornness, suspicion of others,
unpredictable mood swings, emotional
instability and deformed perception of
reality.
Primary Diogenes syndrome:No other
existing medical condition triggers the
condition.
Secondary Diogenes syndrome: results
from another mental health disorders.
5. This person can develop a skin condition called
dermatitis passivata, where a horny crust develops
over the skin. This is usually due to a lack of regular
washing.
Another complication that doctors have found is poor
oral hygiene, which can lead to dental decay
and halitosis (bad breath).
Diogenes syndrome is often linked to mental illnesses
that include:
schizophrenia
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
depression
dementia
addiction, especially to alcohol
6. Diagnosis and treatment
There is no formal diagnosis or treatment plan for Diogenes
syndrome.
currently no medications or therapy options specifically for
managing Diogenes syndrome.
Treatments may include medications used to treat
anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, or
psychosis.
Intensive psychological therapy or counseling may help some
people.
7. Management
It is ethically difficult because they refuse to accept treatment. so health
care professionals must decide whether or not to force treatment onto
their patient.
Mortality rate during hospitalization has shown that approximately half
the patients die while in the hospital. A quarter of the patients are sent
back home, while the other quarter are placed in long-term residential
care.
Some patients respond better to psychotherapy, while others to
behavioral treatment or terminal care.
Day care facilities have often been successful with maturing the patient’s
physical and emotional state, as well as helping them with socialization.
In some cases, Hospitals or nursing homes are often considered the best
treatment.
