Classification of Sz, pos. and neg. symptoms, reliability and validity in diagnosis of Sz

Question 1

define the classification of Sz

Answer 1

• Sz doesnt have a single characteristic, it has a collection of symptoms
• the 2 major classification systems used for mental disorders are the ICD-11 and the DSM-5, these classify sz differently
• e.g the ICD-11 says 2 or more NEG. symptoms (avolition and speech poverty) = you are diagnosed with sz. DSM-5 says 1 POS. symptom (delusions or hallucinations) = sz
• ICD recognises subtypes of sz unlike DSM

Question 2

define positive symptoms of sz

Answer 2

an additional symptom a person doesnt usually have

Question 3

what are 2 positive symptoms of sz

Answer 3

hallucinations and delusions

Question 4

define hallucination

Answer 4

unusual sensory experiences that are unrealistic, e.g auditory hallucinations or visual hallucinations

Question 5

define delusions

Answer 5

irrational/false beliefs that are unrealistic, makes ppl with sz behave in ways that makes sense to them but looks bizzare to other ppl.

e.g. delusions of persecution (believe ur being harassed) and delusions of control (believe ur being controlled by something external)

Question 6

define negative symptoms of sz

Answer 6

a loss of usual abilities a person has

Question 7

what are 2 neg symptoms of sz

Answer 7

avolition and speech poverty

Question 8

define avolition

Answer 8

severe loss of motivation to carry out everyday tasks. 3 signs of avolition are poor hygiene and grooming, lack of consistency in work/education and lack of energy

Question 9

define speech poverty

Answer 9

reduction in quantity and quality of speech. e.g delay in speech or lack of fluency during convo

Question 10

define diagnosis
(not included in essay)

Answer 10

the identification of the nature of an illness by examination of the symptoms. e.g. someone reporting hearing voices

Question 11

define classification
(not included in essay)

Answer 11

the action or process of classifying something like the classification of disease according to the symptoms e.g symptom of sz is hallucinations

Question 12

define reliability in diagnosis (3)
(AO1)

Answer 12

• reliability refers to whether we can gain consistent results when classifying and diagnosing sz
• therefore the extent to how diff classification systems would agree on how sz should be classified
• AND the extent to which 2 or more health professionals would agree on the same diagnosis

Question 13

define validity in diagnosis (3)
(AO1)

Answer 13

• validity refers to accuracy, if we are measuring what we intend to measure
• e.g. are classification systems accurately outlining symptoms of sz
• AND are health professionals accurately diagnosing sz

Question 14

what is the resarch on reliability and validity into diagnosis of sz?
(AO1)

Answer 14

• 2 psychiatrists diagnosed the same 100 patients using the DSM and ICD
• it was found that 1 psychiatrist diagnosed almost double the amount than the other one
• both psychiatrists diagnosed double the amount using the ICD rather than the DSM, this questions the validity of the diagnosis and shows poor reliability in the classification of sz

Question 15

what 4 things can affect the validity and reliability of classification and diagnosis of sz?

Answer 15

• symptom overlap
• co morbidity
• culture bias
• gender bias

Question 16

define symptom overlap

Answer 16

• this is where 2 or more conditions share similar symptoms
• e.g. sz and dep both share neg symptom of avolition

Question 17

define co - morbidity

Answer 17

• this is where 2 illnesses occur at the same time
• this is common with sz as it shares common symptoms with dep and ocd e.g lowered mood
• this is a problem as sz may get misdiagnosed as its harder to identify

Question 18

define gender bias in relation to the validity and reliability of classification and diagnosis of sz

Answer 18

• since 1980s men have been diagnosed with sz more than women
• this may be because men are more genetically vulnerable to developing sz
• or it could be because females with sz typically function better than men, e.g being more likely to work or have good family relationships

Question 19

define culture bias in relation to the validity and reliability of classification and diagnosis of sz

Answer 19

• english ppl of african origin are more likely to be diagnosed with sz in the uk
• this may be because some bhvs that are normal in african cultures may be classed as pos. symptoms of sz in the uk

Question 20

what are the explanations for sz?

Answer 20

• biological exp
• psychological exp

Question 21

what are the 2 psychological explanations of sz?

Answer 21

• family dysfunction
• cognitive exp