Introduction to schizophrenia

Question 1

What % of the world population has schizophrenia

Answer 1

1%

Question 2

Which groups does it affect the most

Answer 2

Men/city people/lower social-economic groups

Question 3

What is the classification of mental disorders

Answer 3

Process of organising symptoms into categories based on which symptoms frequently cluster together

Question 4

What are the two major systems for classifying mental disorders

Answer 4

ICD-10
DSM-5

Question 5

How does the ICD-10 and DSM-5 differ in diagnosing schizophrenia

Answer 5

DSM-5 must be one positive symptom but 2 negatives are enough for ICD

Question 6

Why did ICD/DSM drop subtypes of schizophrenia (e.g paranoid)

Answer 6

Tended to be inconsistent as wouldn’t show same symptoms years later

Question 7

What are positive symptoms

Answer 7

additional experiences beyond ordinary existence

Question 8

Positive symptoms

Answer 8

Hallucinations:
-Can relate to environment
-Experienced from any sense

Delusions:
-Irrational beliefs (e.g think they’re God)
-Paranoia
-Illusions of external control

Speech disorganisation (DSM): Incoherent/changes topic mid-sentence

Question 9

What are negative symptoms

Answer 9

Loss of usual abilities and experiences

Question 10

Negative symptoms

Answer 10

Speech poverty:
-Reduced speech/quality of
-e.g delay in response

Avolition:
-Reduced motivation
Andreasen’s 3 types:
-Poor hygiene/Lack of persistence in work or education/Lack of energy

Question 11

Strength of diagnosis of schizophrenia

Answer 11

Osario et al found excellent reliability for 180 patients with DSM-5
-Inter-rater = +97
-Test-retest = +92
So consistent diagnosis

Question 12

Weakness of diagnosis of schizophrenia

Answer 12

Low criteron validity
-e.g Cheniaux et al assessed same clients using ICD-10/DSM-IV
-68 diagnosed with ICD/39 with DSM
-Suggests over/under diagnosis

Question 13

Counterpoint to low criterion validity

Answer 13

Osario’s study found good inter-rater reliability/criterion validity when using single system (DSM)

Question 14

Weakness of schizophrenia diagnosis (co-morbidity)

Answer 14

Co-morbidity as half also have depression/substance abuse (Buckley et al)
-Questions validity of their diagnosis/classification

Question 15

Weakness of schizophrenia diagnosis (Gender bias)

Answer 15

Men diagnosed more commonly (1.4:1)
-So women may not be receiving enough treatment/services

Question 16

Weakness of schizophrenia diagnosis (Cultural bias)

Answer 16

Symptoms have different meanings (e.g Haiti: hearing voices= messages from ancestors)
-African-Caribbean British 9x more likely to be diagnosed as cultural bias
-So leads to discrimination

Question 17

Weakness of schizophrenia diagnosis (symptom overlap)

Answer 17

Overlaps with bipolar disorder as both have hallucinations/avolition
-In classification might be variations of single condition
-Diagnosis= hard to distinguish between

So C/D may be flawed