Chapter 4 Flashcards
What is psychosis?
- mental state = profound disturbance in thinking
- difficulty distinguishing between most people’s “reality” and their own perception of the world
- may involve voices, delusions, difficulty navigating life
- central feature of schizophrenia
- not limited to schizophrenia
What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
- Episodic
- hallucinations
- Delusions
- experiencing new or additional mental phenomena
What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
- deficits in “normal” behaviour
- chronic
- Existing behaviours or feelings decline or disappear
What are the two forms of psychosis?
Hallucinations - sensory experience that occurs without any clear stimulus
and Delusions - holding a belief that most others consider impossible or highly unlikely, described as irrational or false beliefs that the person will hold even when presented with evidence against
What are persecutory delusions?
a person believes that others are “out to get them”, or that they are being targeted for mistreatment
What are Grandiose Delusions?
A person believes themselves to be in a position of great power, such as a deity, celebrity, or a head of government
What are Delusions related to control?
A person may believe that an external force is controlling their thoughts or body, or that thoughts are being implanted or broadcast aloud
What are delusions of reference?
Believing that they are being communicated with in code (receiving hidden secret messages through magazine or politicians gestures during broadcasted speech)
What are obsessive beliefs?
Perhaps thinking that a partner is having an affair, without evidence
What are Erotomanic delusions?
Believing that a stranger or celebrity is in love with them
What are delusions of guilt?
Deeply held belief that they have caused harm to others, when they have not
What are somatic delusions?
Believing that they have a bodily malfunction or terrible illness, without evidence of this
What is Disorganized speech as a positive symptom?
- unusual or disorganized speech patterns = core component of schizophrenia
- switching topics suddenly and frequently
- Using the same word repeatedly, maybe holds special meaning
- non responsive or unproductive answers to questions
What are examples of Negative Symptoms?
- “blunted affect” - less expressive tone of voice/facial expressions
- reduced speech with short responses, little elaboration
- Increased speech, but repetitive, with “poverty of content”
- May be more debilitating and limiting than positive symptoms
- seen as chronic or persistent (present for years)
What is Avolition?
Lack of drive, difficulty taking initiative to engage in routine tasks (including activities of daily living, eating/bathing)
What are examples of changes in social behaviour in those experiencing schizophrenia?
Increased isolation, perhaps due to desiring to be alone or difficulty in maintaining relationships stemming from symptoms
What is Anhedonia?
Inability to experience pleasure, a change in one’s sense of enjoyment; things are no longer pleasurable (a symptom of depression)
What are the 5 values of The Hearing Voices Movement?
- Voice hearing not restricted to sick or those experiencing mental illness
- No correct way to explain phenomenon: cultural and personal beliefs (ex: more individualistic societies like America = more negative)
- Take ownership of their experience-be empowered, rather than defined by “expert” explanations or medical intervention
- Voices not result of disease; consider psychological emotional and spiritual experience
- Challenges dominant belief that voices must be suppressed: rather accepted as real and significant aspect of person’s existence
What are the debates centred around schizophrenia?
Prevalence, cause and ethology, treatment, plus concerns about popular representations and stigma -> recognize need to counter stigma and discrimination
What are some stigmas and popular representations of schizophrenia?
- damaged, different, deranged, mad genius, violent, unhinged
What is chloropromazine
held up as first effective antipsychotic medication
(thought to treat hopeless cases, uncomfortable side effects, less agency to some)
What are side effects of early antipsychotics
- many related to movement
-tardive dyskinesia (involuntary and uncomfortable movement of face, mouth, tongue) - weight gain
- increased risk of diabetes
- sexual dysfunction
- increase overall mortality?
What are disturbances in Cognition?
- adverse effects on memory, attention, learning
- disrupt life
- primary hallmark?
