Classification and Diagnosis of SZ

Question 1

What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 1

Symptoms in addition to a person’s normal functioning.

Question 2

What are 2 examples of positive symptoms?

Answer 2

1. Delusions (Thinking)
2. Hallucinations (Seeing)

Question 3

What are the two types of delusions?

Answer 3

1. Grandeur delusions- e.g. being famous.
2. Paranoid delusions- e.g. being followed.

Question 4

What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 4

These involve a reduction in a person’s normal functioning.

Question 5

Give 2 examples of negative symptoms.

Answer 5

1. Speech Poverty
2. Avolition

Question 6

Outline the issue of culture bias in the classification and diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Answer 6

-People who create diagnostic tools such as DSM are predominantly from white backgrounds, with different norms and values to ethnic groups such as Afro-Caribbean descent.

Can lead to negative labels:
-People who display characteristics considered abnormal by one culture, but not by their own, are labelled as SZ.
-They may not understand why and it may make them feel ostracized from society.

Question 7

Outline the issue of system overlap in the classification and diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Answer 7

System overlap occurs when the characteristics of a particular disorder are shared with another. (e.g. depressed mood, SZ and BPD).

-System overlap affects the reliability because one clinician may provide a wrong diagnosis.

-Misdiagnosis can lead to inappropriate medication and consequently an incorrect therapy.

-This treatment may be ineffective and would also have negative implications for society.

Question 8

Outline the issue of gender bias in the classification and diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Answer 8

Gender bias refers to differential treatment or representation of males and females, based on stereotypes.

-Statistically male are more likely to be diagnosed than females.

-This may misrepresent the true prevalence of the disorder for each sex.

-This affects the validity of diagnosis because clinicians may assume women who present such symptoms (seeking support) are not SZ, and diagnose them with a different disorder e.g. depression.

Question 9

Outline the issue of comorbidity in the classification and diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Answer 9

Comorbidity occurs when a person has two or more disorders at the same time e.g. SZ is often comorbid with substance abuse.

-This affects the validity of diagnosis because it leads to uncertainty about whether disorders can be considered independently.

-Many SZ are not recognised as having the disorder, clinical may diagnose a patient with their comorbid disorder e.e.g BPD.

-Diagnosis is therefore invalid and any research findings obtained may not represent sufferers of SZ with prominent comorbid disorders.