EastEnders SPOILER: Isaac Baptiste is diagnosed with schizophrenia for powerful storyline

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EastEnders SPOILER: Isaac Baptiste is diagnosed with schizophrenia as the soap teams up with mental health charity Mind for powerful storyline

By Rianne Addo For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

EastEnders’ Isaac Baptiste will be diagnosed with schizophrenia in an upcoming episode.

Viewers will see the character, played by Stevie Basaula, cope with the stigma attached to the condition with his friends and family. 

On the storyline, the actor said: ‘This is close to my heart, to be telling Isaac’s story is a privilege. I hope it will start a dialogue for people to have conversations about mental health and that anyone living with the condition will feel seen.’

‘This is close to my heart’: EastEnders’ Isaac Baptiste will be diagnosed with schizophrenia in an upcoming episode (played by Stevie Basaula)

Patrick and Sheree Trueman’s son was introduced to the series as a supply teacher at Walford Primary School last January.

On his experience about working with the charity for Mental Health Awareness Week, the Bulletproof star added: ‘There’s so much we think we know about schizophrenia, but it’s often not the reality for people living with the condition.

‘Working with Mind has been so useful, I spoke to a young man who bravely shared his story and it was inspiring to learn how he’s managing his condition. 

‘I hope that anyone engaging with Isaac’s story will gain a better understanding and can approach someone they know that may be struggling from a more positive place.’

Emotional: Viewers will see the character cope with the stigma attached to the condition with his friends and family

Emotional: Viewers will see the character cope with the stigma attached to the condition with his friends and family

Candid: 'I hope it will start a dialogue for people to have conversations about mental health', the actor explained

Candid: ‘I hope it will start a dialogue for people to have conversations about mental health’, the actor explained

EastEnders executive producer Jon Sen echoed in a statement: ‘Working with Mind has been imperative in ensuring we tell Isaac’s story truthfully.

‘There’s a multitude of layers to this storyline and Mind’s expertise has been crucial as we explore Isaac’s experience.

‘Mind helped give an insight into the emotional and social experience of living with schizophrenia, particularly looking at attitudes towards mental health in African Caribbean communities.’ 

WHAT IS SCHIZOPHRENIA? 

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. 

People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality.

The cause of schizophrenia is not understood and it is believed to be a mix of genetics (hereditary), abnormalities in brain chemistry and/or possible viral infections and immune disorders. 

Symptoms of schizophrenia usually begin between ages 16 and 30. In rare cases, children have schizophrenia too.

The symptoms of schizophrenia fall into three categories: positive, negative, and cognitive.   

Positive symptoms are disturbances that are ‘added’ to the person’s personality and include:

  • Hallucinations
  • Delusions
  • Thought disorders (unusual or dysfunctional ways of thinking) 

Negative symptoms are capabilities that are ‘lost’ from the person’s personality and include: 

  • ‘Flat affect’ (reduced expression of emotions via facial expression or voice tone)
  • Reduced feelings of pleasure in everyday life
  • Difficultly beginning and sustaining activities 

Cognitive symptoms are changes in their memory or other aspects of thinking and include:

  • Trouble focusing or paying attention
  • Problems with ‘working memory’
  • Poor ability to understand information and use it to make decisions 

Figures suggest around one percent of the world population suffers from schizophrenia with around two million in the US.

Source: National Institute of Mental Health 

 

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality.

The cause of schizophrenia is not understood and it is believed to be a mix of genetics (hereditary), abnormalities in brain chemistry and/or possible viral infections and immune disorders. 

Symptoms of schizophrenia usually begin between ages 16 and 30. In rare cases, children have schizophrenia too.

The programme has addressed other conditions in the past in an effort to raise awareness, including Stacey Slater’s bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2009, as well as her postpartum psychosis storyline six years later. 

Important: The programme has addressed other conditions in the past in an effort to raise awareness, including Stacey Slater's bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2009 (pictured in 2019)

Important: The programme has addressed other conditions in the past in an effort to raise awareness, including Stacey Slater’s bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2009 (pictured in 2019)