Key features that define Psychotic Disorders

Question 1

Define delusions

Answer 1

fixed beliefs that aren’t amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence.

Question 2

Different types of delusions

Answer 2

1. Persecutory delusions
2. Referential delusions
3. Grandiose delusions
4. Erotomanic delusions
5. Nihilistic delusions
6. Somatic delusions

Question 3

Persecutory delusions

Answer 3

• belief that one is going to be harmed, harassed & so forth by an individual, organization, or other group.

Question 4

Referential delusions

Answer 4

• belief that certain gestures, comments, environmental cues & so forth are directed at oneself.
  e.g. ppl on the radio or tv are talking abt them

Question 5

Grandiose delusions

Answer 5

• when an individual believes tha the or she has exceptional abilities, wealth, or fame

Question 6

Erotomanic delusions

Answer 6

• when an individual believes falsely that another person is in love with him or her.

Question 7

Nihilistic delusions

Answer 7

• involve the conviction that a major catastrophe will occur

Question 8

Somatic delusions

Answer 8

• focus on preoccupations regarding health & organ function.
  e.g. being so itchy & they feel like there are insects crawling on them despite showering.

Question 9

Bizzare delusions

Answer 9

• delusions that are clearly implausible & not understandable to same-culture peers & don’t derive from ordinary life experiences.
  e.g. belief that one’s thoughts
  have been “removed” by some outside force (thought withdrawal), that alien thoughts have been put into one’s mind (thought insertion), or that one’s body or actions are being acted on
  or manipulated by some outside force (delusions of control).

Question 10

Define Hallucinations

Answer 10

perception-like experiences that occur without an external stimulus.

Question 11

Types of Hallucinations

Answer 11

1. Auditory
2. Visual
3. Olfactory
4. Tactile
5. Sensory

Question 12

Which type of hallucination is the most common in schizophrenia & related disorders?

Answer 12

Auditory hallucinations

Question 13

Define Alogia

Answer 13

diminished speech output

Question 14

Circumstantial speech

Answer 14

the person will eventually answer a question, but in a markedly roundabout manner.

e.g. Doctor: when did the pain start?
pt: On Saturday I woke up from bed, had a shower & wore my red t-shirt, then I had cereal for breakfast & then I went to work by my car which I brought a month ago. However, on Monday I started feeling the pain.

Question 15

Derailment

Answer 15

the person will suddenly switch topics without any logic or sequence.

Question 16

Neologism

Answer 16

the creation of new, idiosyncratic (unique to an individual) words.

Question 17

Tangential speech

Answer 17

the person goes off the topic & never returns to it.

e.g. Doctor: Have you had any trouble sleeping lately?
pt: I usually sleep in my bed but now I’m sleeping on the sofa.

Question 18

Catatonic behaviour

Answer 18

• a marked decrease in reactivity to the environment.

Question 19

Passive Negativism

Answer 19

an attitude characterized by persistent resistance to the suggestions of others

Question 20

Active Negativism

Answer 20

the tendency to act in ways that are contrary to the expectations, requests, or commands of others, typically without any identifiable reason for opposition.

Question 21

Mutism

Answer 21

an inability or unwillingness to speak, resulting in the absence or scarcity of verbal output.

Question 22

2 negative symptoms that are particularly prominent in Schizophrenia:

Answer 22

1. Diminished emotional expression
2. Avolition (decrease in motivated self-initiated purposeful activities)

Question 23

Diminished emotional expression

Answer 23

includes reductions in the expression of emotions in the face, eye contact, intonation of speech (prosody) & movements of the hand, head, face that normally give an emotional emphasis to speech.

Question 24

Avolition

Answer 24

a decrease in motivated self-initiated purposeful activities.
e.g. the individual may sit for long periods of time & show little interest in participating in work or social activities.

Question 25

Anhedonia

Answer 25

decreased ability to experience pleasure from positive stimuli or a degradation in the recollection of pleasure previously experienced.

Question 26

Asociality

Answer 26

refers to the apparent lack of interest in social interactions & may be associated with avolition, but it can also be a manifestation of limited opportunities for social interactions.