Classification of schizophrenia Flashcards
What is schizophrenia (SZ)?
A type of psychosis that is a severe mental disorder. Thoughts and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality.
What percentage of the population is affected by SZ at some point in their lifetime?
1% - most common psychotic disorder.
What does a clinician use to diagnose SZ?
Diagnostic manual. DSM-V in USA. ICD-11 in Europe.
What is the difference between positive and negative symptoms?
Positive - an excess or distortion of normal functioning.
Negative - a diminution or loss of normal functioning.
List the most common positive symptoms of SZ.
Hallucinations
Delusions
Disorganised thoughts/speech
Grossly disorganised or catatonic behaviour
What are hallucinations?
Distortions or exaggerations of perception in any of the senses, most notably auditory hallucinations.
What different types of hallucinations may a SZ patient suffer from?
Auditory
Visual
Olfactory (smell)
Tactile (feeling)
What are delusions?
Firmly held erroneous beliefs that are caused by distortions of reasoning or misinterpretations of perceptions or experiences.
What are the different types of delusions?
Delusions of:
Grandeur
Persecution
Control
List the most common negative symptoms of SZ.
Speech poverty / alogia
Avolition
Affective flattening
Anhedonia
What is speech poverty?
Lessening of speech fluency and productivity, which reflects slowing or blocked thoughts.
What is avolition?
Reduction, difficulty or inability to initiate and persist in goal-directed behaviour.
What is affective flattening?
Reduction in the range and intensity of emotional expression.
What is anhedonia?
Loss of interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities.
What is required for a DSM-V diagnosis of SZ?
Criterion A: Two or more symptoms
B: Social/occupational dysfunction
C: Consistent signs of disturbance for a duration of 6 or more months
