Intro To Schizophrenia*

Question 1

What is schizophrenia?

Answer 1

A mental disorder affecting 1% of people

Question 2

Who is most commonly affected by schizophrenia?

Answer 2

Men, city dwellers, and low socio-economic groups

Question 3

What is a significant consequence of schizophrenia for many individuals?

Answer 3

Many people with it end up hospitalized or homeless

Question 4

What are the two systems used to classify schizophrenia?

Answer 4

• International Classification of Disease (ICD-10)
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5)

Question 5

What is an example of a subtype of schizophrenia?

Answer 5

Paranoid schizophrenia, characterized by hallucinations and delusions

Question 6

What are positive symptoms in schizophrenia?

Answer 6

Additional experiences, including hallucinations and delusions

Question 7

Define hallucinations.

Answer 7

Unusual sensory experiences that can be related or unrelated to the environment

Question 8

What are delusions commonly referred to as?

Answer 8

Paranoia

Question 9

List three common forms of delusions.

Answer 9

• Believing to be an important historical figure
• Believing to have superpowers
• Believing to be externally controlled

Question 10

What are negative symptoms in schizophrenia?

Answer 10

Loss of usual abilities and experiences, such as speech poverty and avolition

Question 11

Define speech poverty.

Answer 11

Reduction in the amount and quality of speech, sometimes disorganized or incoherent

Question 12

What is avolition also known as?

Answer 12

‘Apathy’

Question 13

What are the three types of avolition identified by Andreasen?

Answer 13

• Poor hygiene
• Lack of persistence in work/education
• Lack of energy

Question 14

What indicates good reliability in psychiatric diagnosis?

Answer 14

When different clinicians reach the same diagnosis (inter-rater reliability) or the same clinician reaches the same diagnosis on two occasions (test-retest reliability)

Question 15

How has the DSM-5 improved reliability for diagnosis?

Answer 15

It has provided better consistency in applying diagnoses

Question 16

What does validity mean in the context of diagnosis?

Answer 16

Whether we are assessing what we are trying to assess

Question 17

What did Cheniaux et al’s study reveal about schizophrenia diagnosis?

Answer 17

Discrepancies between ICD and DSM diagnoses indicate low criterion validity

Question 18

What percentage of those diagnosed with schizophrenia are also diagnosed with depression or substance abuse?

Answer 18

Around half

Question 19

What gender bias exists in schizophrenia diagnosis?

Answer 19

More men have been diagnosed than women since the 1980s

Question 20

What might explain the gender bias in schizophrenia diagnosis?

Answer 20

Women may be underdiagnosed due to having close relationships and support

Question 21

What cultural bias exists in diagnosing schizophrenia?

Answer 21

Some symptoms have different meanings in different cultures

Question 22

What is the likelihood of British people with African Caribbean origins being diagnosed with schizophrenia compared to white British?

Answer 22

9 times more likely

Question 23

What overlap exists between schizophrenia and other conditions?

Answer 23

Similar symptoms between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder suggest they may not be separate conditions