Clinical Characteristics of Schizophrenia Flashcards
What is Schizophrenia?
A severe mental illness characterised by profound disruption of cognition and emotion
What is Schizophrenia typified by?
Positive/Negative symptoms
What are positive symptoms?
Symptoms reflecting an excess/distortion of normal functions
What are 4 examples of positive symptoms?
Delusions
Hallucinations
Experiences of Control
Disordered Thinking
What are delusions?
Bizarre beliefs that are not real
May be paranoid or include inflated beliefs about persons power
What are hallucinations?
Unreal perceptions of the environment, visual/auditory/olfactory/tactile
What is experiences of control?
The belief of being under the control of an external force like aliens
What are negative symptoms?
Those reflecting a diminution of normal functions
When might negative symptoms persist?
Periods of low/absent positive symptoms
What are 3 examples of negative symptoms?
Affective Flattening
Alogia
Avolition
What is affective flattening?
Reduction in range/intensity of expressed emotions
What is alogia?
Poverty of speech
What negative symptom is poverty of speech?
Alogia
What is avolition?
Reduction or inability to initiate and persist in goal-directed behaviour
What might avolition be mistaken as?
Disinterest or laziness
