Some Symptoms of Mental Illness
that might relate to the ESA50
•Assaulted member of public on bus (2-17 a or b or c)
•Has large debts (2-13- a or b or c)
•Screaming and Shouting abuse in public (2-17 a or b or
c) (3-14)
•Locked self in home and discovered in a dehydrated
state (3-10-a) (EC?)
•Found walking in the middle of a busy road (2-12-a(i))
(3-10-a)
•No social contacts (2-16-a) (3-13)
•Disengagement with family members (2-16-a) (3-13)
•Physically abusive to mother (2-17-a or b or c) (3-14)
•Home untidy and cluttered (2-13-a)
Symptoms continued
•Can’t cope with letters and bills through the post; often
ignores them ((2-13-a)
•Voices on a daily basis; set fire to home as ordered to by
Guy Fawkes (2-12-a(i)) (3-10)(EC)
•(2-16-a)
•Threatened father with a knife (2-17-a or b or c) (3-14?)
(EC?)
•Untidy unhygienic house (2-13-a)
•Two assaults on the police (2-17-a or b or c) (3-14?)
•Isolated (3-13) (2-16 a or b or c)
•When I was found fit for work he was upset and angry.
He was arrested for assault to a bus driver (2-17 (3-14)
(EC)
Symptoms continued
•Neglects self-care (2-13 a or b or c)
•Chaotic (EC?) (2-13 a or b or c) (3-14 a or b or c)
•Depressive episodes (EC?) (???)
•Negative thinking about his future (EC?) (???)
•Preoccupied about what others think of him (EC?) (???)
•Suicidal behaviour (3-10-a) (EC?)
•Easily discouraged when faced with challenges (2-13 a
or b or c)
•Physical appearance is neglected (2-13 a or b or c)
Medication and side effects
• Many of the medication used in treatment of mental
health issues can cause unwanted side effect
including:
• Tremors ranging from mild to profound shaking of
hands, jaw neck, restless legs
• Anti psychotic Ant Depressants and Anxiolytic (Anti
Anxiety)
• Drowsiness and over sedation is also an important
symptom that should be considered in other aspects
of the physical descriptors
Sch 2 descriptor 12 - Awareness of everyday hazards
•There are many times when Ms. S is in a state of
confusion. She is a danger to herself and, for example, has
been found walking in the middle of a busy road. But for
the timely intervention of a passerby, I dread to imagine
the possible consequences.
•Mr. B experiences voices on a daily basis; these make
commands on him and he had set fire to home, being
ordered to do so by Guy Fawkes.
•Mr. H frequently experiences delusional and grandiose
thinking. At these times he has been known to stand on
the parapet of high buildings, thinking he can fly.
N.B. All of the above Satisfied Schedule 3 part 10 (a) Support Group
Schedule 2 descriptor 13 – Initiating and completing personal action
•My life is chaotic and I loads of problems with my day to day tasks. I
am so lethargic that I rarely, if ever bother to open envelopes or pay
bills. I’m in loads of debt with water and gas and stuff. I owe that
much rent that my Landlord is telling me to pay up or I’ll be out. The
debt is making me more ill and I’m more nervous everyday.
•I’m so confused and forgetful it means that I take too many pills or
none at all. My CPN helps me take the right amount when I should.
•My Landlord has threatened to evict me if I don’t tidy up my flat. It’s
got so bad that I can’t face it. I know I shouldn’t have let it get so bad
but things just seem to get on top of me.
•My family and friends are always on at me about how I don’t look
after myself properly. I know I should take better care of myself but I
can’t be bothered. My washing machine is broke but I can’t be
bothered getting it fixed.
•N.B. All of the above responses satisfied Part 11 of Schedule 3 and
claimants were placed in a Support Group.
Sch 2 descriptor 14 – Coping with change.
•This is not easy to describe. I think a better way of
addressing this is to say that my life is so chaotic that I have
nothing to change as I have no schedule as such. I do not
cope with life generally, so I suppose it would be fair to say
that as change is part of life then I do not cope with it.
•One of the things that really gets me down is the constant
changing of my Care Coordinator. I just get used to
someone and somebody changes them. It then takes ages
and ages to get to know the new one and sometimes I don’t
like them. This gets me more nervous and didn’t let the
new one in to give me my Depot injection last week.
•N.B. Both of the above claimants satisfied part 12 of
Schedule 3 and were placed in a support group.
Sch 2 descriptor 15 – Getting about
•I hate travelling on public transport. It’s not that I’m
scared of crowds, it’s more that I think they’re talking
about me and It’s all I can do to stop me attacking them.
Las Thursday I got off the tram two stops before I should
have as I could feel my stomach churning and the anger
building up as the laughing of the three girls behind me
started to get to me. I wanted to stop them but I walked
away.
•My friend took me in his car to see the Christmas lights
being turned in Manchester last week. We didn’t even get
out of the car. He saw that I had started to pull frantically
at my collar and the beads of sweat appear on my
forehead as I saw the crowds and turned the car around
and took me home
Sch 2 descriptor 16 – Coping with social engagement
• I sit alone in my home and choose not to go out. Since the
trauma of the attack on me, I have been too afraid to see
or speak to other people. Things are so bad I even
discourage my family from visiting. I do not answer the
door to anyone and my Social Worker has to ring ahead to
give the time that they will visit. If they do not, they know
that I will not come to the door. My mum tells me to pull
myself together and that I am imagining things.
• My self-esteem is rock bottom and I cannot bear the
thought of the certain judgement of others judgments that
will hold me in negative ways. I always think the worst of
me and do not get on well with people at all.
• N.B. The above claimants satisfied part 13 to Schedule 3
and were placed in a support group.
Sch 2 descriptor 17 – Appropriateness of behaviour with other people
due to…mental disorder
•Since I became ill I have lost what few friends I had. It is not
uncommon to find me screaming and shouting abuse in public
to people I do not know. I have a terrible temper. Only last
week I walked up to a bloke and slapped him across the face for
no reason; I just couldn’t stop myself.
•Mum and dad have stopped coming round as they are sick of
and, I think, afraid of me. I have punched my mum in the face
blacking her eyes and even threatened my dad with a knife.
•The last time I got one of these forms they found me fit for
work. I was so angry and upset I didn’t know what to do and
was arrested for assaulting a bus driver.
•N.B. The first two of the above satisfied part 14 to Schedule 3
and were placed in a support group. The last one won an
appeal in exceptional circumstances
Where might these be placed?
I hear voices on a daily basis - Brittle in manner - Noncompliant with
medication
Delusional - thinks she is wife of President Bush Tried to buy £40,000 sports car - States that she communicates
telepathically Mood fluctuation - Excessively happy inability to sleep - Buzzy feeling
in head Delusional and grandiose thinking - Paranoia about gangsters No structure to her day so uses illicit substances for “something to
do” Three children in care (Is this relevant?) –
Evicted from former home for anti-social behaviour (Is this relevant?)
– Tearful –
No sleep pattern – No appetite (3 – 15 – (c) or D(ii)?)
Outcomes
• Medical Services telephoned the above claimants’ Care
Coordinators and asked them a few questions about
their clients such as their professional opinion on:
– General information about mental health
– Diagnosis
– Medication
• The CPNs say that the telephone calls were easy-going,
appeared not to be scripted and were helpful. They
were ended by the Medical Services person by them
saying that claimant would not be sent for a medical
and would not need to go to the Jobcentre for
appointments.
Outcomes continued
Another claimant didn’t tell us that he had
received two ESA50s to complete and that he had
not completed either. He was awarded 0 points
following his first medical and 9points following
his second. We represented at the appeals. His
first was allowed on exceptional circumstances
(Claimant was in prison being found guilty of
assault). His second appeal achieved 15points
but the representative did not pursue placement
into a support group via Schedule 3.