Classification Flashcards
How many people suffer from schizophrenia worldwide?
%; 50% of all mentally ill patients
What is catatonic schizophrenia?
The most severe and permanent form of the illness that can include stupor (not moving for long periods of time)
What characterises type I schizophrenia?
Acute with positive symptoms
What characterises type II schizophrenia?
Chronic with negative symptoms
What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia? Name three positive symptoms of schizophrenia
The acquisition of abnormal behaviours.
Delusions, paranoia and hallucinations
Define hallucination
The perception of something being real that does not truly exist (false sensations)
Define delusion
A false belief that is resistant to confrontation with the truth (false beliefs)
Do positive symptoms of schizophrenia respond well to medication? Do symptoms occur in short or long episodes?
Yes; short
What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
Behaviours displaying disruption of typical emotions and actions - a loss of normal functioning. Chronic, longer-lasting episodes that are resistant to medication such as flat-effect, speech poverty and avolition
What is necessary for a diagnosis of schizophrenia?
The presence of two or more symptoms for more than one month
What is chronic onset schizophrenia?
Sufferers become increasingly disturbed through gradual withdrawal over a prolonged period of time
What is acute onset schizophrenia?
Symptoms appear suddenly after a stressful incident
What are the three symptoms of schizophrenia developed by Schneider?
Passivity experiences and thought disorders, auditory hallucinations and primary delusions
What are the four symptoms of schizophrenia added by Slater and Roth?
Thought-process disorders, disturbance of effect, psychomotor disturbances and avolition
Define passivity experiences and thought disorders
Thoughts and actions are perceived as being under external control. Sufferers may believe that their thoughts are being inserted, withdrawn or broadcasted to others
Define auditory hallucinations
Experiencing voices, often insulting, inside their head that form running commentaries or discuss the sufferer’s behaviour, anticipate their thoughts or repeat their thoughts out loud
Define primary delusions
These are usually of grandeur or believing they are somebody important e.g. Jesus reborn. Later these become delusions of persecution, where sufferers believe someone is trying to harm them
Define thought process disorders
Sufferers wander off the point, invent new words and phrases, muddle their words, interpret language literally and indulge in speech poverty (excessively brief replies to questions with minimal elaboration)
Define disturbances of effect
Sufferers appear uncaring or as having innapropriate emotional responses, often reacting to bad news with laughter etc. and having severe and sudden mood swings
Define psychomotor disturbances
Adopt frozen statue-like poses, exhibit tics, twitches and repetitive behaviour such as pacing