diagnosis and classification of SZ✅

Question 1

what is SZ?

who is more likely to get sz?

Answer 1

• a mental illness whereby contact with reality and insight are impaired eg. psychosis
• working class men

Question 2

what are the symptoms normally divided into?

what does diagnosis require?

Answer 2

Positive symptoms - reflect an excess or distortion of normal functions.

Negative symptoms - reflect a diminution or loss of normal functions which often appear during periods of low or absent positive symptoms.

• Diagnosis of Schizophrenia requires a months duration of two or more positive symptoms.

Question 3

what are the 2 major systems responsible for the classification of SZ?

Answer 3

• world health organisation (ICD - 10)

- American psychiatric association (DSM - 5)

Question 4

what Is the definition of + symptoms of SZ?

what are the 2 types?

Answer 4

additional experiences beyond those of ordinary existence

1- delusions = paranoia, irrational beliefs that often involve superficial thing such as having powers and being abducted by aliens. they can someones involve historical or religious figures. delusions can lead to agg. as they believe there acting rationally when they aren’t

2- hallucinations = unusual sensory experiences related to events, some havens correlation eg. hearing voices often criticising you, can even see distorted facial expressions

Question 5

definition of - symptoms?

what are the 2 types?

Answer 5

negative symptoms involve a loss of usual abilities or experiences

1- avolition = 'apathy', finding it hard to begin or keep a goal. eg. actions performed in order to achieve a result. leads to a huge lack of motivation to carry out activities 
Andreason identified 3 sings:
   - poor hygiene
   - lack of energy 
   - lack of persistence in work 

2- speech poverty = changes in pattern of speech, seen as neg. since the emphasis is on the reduction in the amount of quality of speech. sometimes accompanied by a delay in verbal response when having a convo

Question 6

what does co - morbidity mean?

what is an example of it?

Answer 6

• when two disorders are combined together

- if someone is depressed, they often have anxiety as well

Question 7

AO3:

❌2 weaknesses

Answer 7

❌ P: one weakness of the diagnosis and classification of SZ is the co- morbidity. morbidity refers to a medical condition or how common it is. Co – morbidity is the idea that 2 or more cond. can occur together. If condition occur together it calls for question. Of the validity of their diagnosis and classification bc they might actually be a single condition. SZ is commonly diag. with other conditions. Buckley et al. found around half of the patients with a diag. of SZ also have depression (50%) or substance abuse. PTSD also occurred in 29% and OCD in 23%. In terms of diag., it may be hard to tell whether the patient has dep. Or SZ. In terms of classification, if severe dep. Looks like SZ, it may be better to be seen as single cond.

❌ there is a considerable overlap in the symptoms for SZ and other cond.
eg. both SZ and bipolar involve positive symptoms like delusions and neg. symptoms such as avolition. This questions the validity of both classification and diag. of SZ. under ICD, a patient might be diag. as SZ. However, many of the same ppl would receive a diag. for BP according to the DSM criteria, which is unsurprising considering the overlap. this suggests the SZ and BP may be the same condition