Dignostic

Question 1

What is schizophrenia classified as in the ICD-11?

Answer 1

A psychotic disorder

Schizophrenia is characterized by a loss of contact with reality.

Question 2

What is a key characteristic of people with schizophrenia regarding their condition?

Answer 2

Lack of insight

Individuals may not seek help due to this lack of awareness.

Question 3

What is required for a diagnosis of schizophrenia according to the ICD-11?

Answer 3

At least one core symptom for at least one month

In less clear-cut cases, two symptoms may be necessary.

Question 4

What must be eliminated before diagnosing schizophrenia?

Answer 4

Other causes of symptoms

Examples include substance misuse, medication side effects, or physical conditions.

Question 5

How does the ICD-11 categorize symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 5

Six dimensional descriptors

Each is rated on a four-point scale.

Question 6

What are the two types of symptoms categorized by the ICD-11?

Answer 6

Positive and negative symptoms

The classification also includes mood, cognition, and behavior symptoms.

Question 7

Define positive symptoms in the context of schizophrenia.

Answer 7

Presence of psychological abnormality

This contrasts with negative symptoms, which refer to the absence of normal functions.

Question 8

What are hallucinations?

Answer 8

Involuntary perceptual experiences without external stimuli

They can include auditory, visual, olfactory, and somatosensory experiences.

Question 9

What is a core symptom of schizophrenia related to hallucinations?

Answer 9

Hearing voices

This is a common experience for individuals with schizophrenia.

Question 10

What are experiences of influence, passivity or control?

Answer 10

These refer to the subjective experience that our thoughts, feelings, and actions are being controlled by external forces.

ICD-11 notes that delusional beliefs may develop as a way of explaining these experiences.

Question 11

What is thought withdrawal?

Answer 11

The feeling that thoughts are being removed.

Question 12

What is thought insertion?

Answer 12

The feeling that thoughts are being implanted.

Question 13

What is thought broadcasting?

Answer 13

The feeling that thoughts are being transmitted to others.

Question 14

What are delusions?

Answer 14

Fixed beliefs that conflict with reality.

Question 15

What is a delusion of grandeur?

Answer 15

The belief that one sees themselves as exceptional in some way, such as having superhuman powers or abilities.

Question 16

What is a delusion of persecution?

Answer 16

The belief that other people want to harm them, including feelings of being spied on, followed, or tricked.

Question 17

What is a delusion of reference?

Answer 17

The belief that situations or events have personal significance, such as receiving signs about behavior or future events.

Question 18

What are prodromal symptoms?

Answer 18

Weaker versions of core symptoms that may be shown before a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Question 19

What is an example of a prodromal symptom?

Answer 19

A person with persecutory ideation may hold false beliefs that are not as strong, such as thinking people might have been talking about them versus being convinced they were.

Question 20

What is the difference between thinking people might have been talking about you versus being convinced they were talking about you?

Answer 20

There is a very fine line between the two.

This distinction can impact a person’s perception of reality.

Question 21

What are some positive symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 21

Positive symptoms include disorganised thinking, incoherent speech, word salads, and neologisms.

Disorganised behaviour may also occur, leading to unexpected or purposeless actions.

Question 22

What does disorganised thinking in schizophrenia refer to?

Answer 22

It refers to the loss of ‘train of thought’, leading to incoherent speech and jumbled ideas.

This phenomenon is also known as derailment.

Question 23

What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 23

Negative symptoms refer to the absence of thoughts, feelings, or behaviours considered psychologically normal.

Examples include flat affect, avolition, alogia, asociality, and anhedonia.

Question 24

What is flat affect in schizophrenia?

Answer 24

Flat affect means the individual does not experience typical emotional highs and lows.

Question 25

What is avolition?

Answer 25

Avolition is the inability to carry out goal-directed behaviours, such as getting ready to go out.

Question 26

What is alogia?

Answer 26

Alogia refers to a lack of spoken language.

Question 27

What is asociality?

Answer 27

Asociality is characterized by social withdrawal.

Question 28

What is anhedonia?

Answer 28

Anhedonia is the inability to experience pleasure.

Question 29

What is the prevalence of schizophrenia among genders?

Answer 29

The prevalence is similar for males and females, about 0.3-0.7 percent.

Question 30

At what age does schizophrenia typically onset for males and females?

Answer 30

Onset is usually earlier for males (early to mid-20s) and later for females (late 20s).

Question 31

Why is schizophrenia rarely diagnosed in children under 13?

Answer 31

Symptoms can overlap with other disorders, making diagnosis difficult and unreliable.

Question 32

What was notable about the 14-year-old boy in the study by Aneja et al. (2018)?

Answer 32

He showed clear symptoms and features of schizophrenia.