Lesson 2: The positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia: Flashcards
What are the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
This refers to excesses, or symptoms that have been added to the patient’s personality because they now have the illness of schizophrenia. These symptoms were not present when the person was healthy.
Some examples:
Hallucinations and delusions
What are the negative symptoms of schizophrenia
This refers to reduction or loss of normal functioning. The person will have a weakened ability to cope and manage everyday life. The person loses their ability to do certain things because of their illness
Some examples:
Speech poverty, avolition, apathy
What are hallucinations
The patient will hear voices that do not exist, (but they feel very real to the patient). The voices are usually loud and can be heard in both ears (or maybe one). The voice might sound like the patient’s own inner voice, but sometimes the voice can be one they do not recognise. Sometimes more than one voice can be heard and the voices might be a mixture of male and female voices. The voices usually give a running commentary on what the patient is doing, and mostly the voices say negative comments (rather than positive ones). Patients might respond to the voices (and that is why they might be seen talking to themselves).
The patient might see things that do not exist such as shapes, images, objects. They might have vivid images that are disturbing e.g. bugs crawling on their skin The patient might smell odours that do not really exist. For instance they might say they can smell gas, burning or perfume The patient might believe they can feel things that are not really present. For example they might believe that someone is touching them, or they might feel intense heat (burning), when in reality there is nothing to be felt.
What are delusions
The patient might believe they are someone important/powerful e.g. God. The problem with this is that they might believe that they have special powers (can walk on water or fly) and could cause great harm to themselves
The patient believes that everyone is conspiring against them and that everyone dislikes them, they have a very negative attitude towards most people because of this issue The patient believes that objects, events and songs have a personal significance that refers directly to them. The patient might also become emotionally attached to objects (e.g. a vase) and might name the object and talk to it.
What is disorganised speech
Due to abnormal thought processes, the individual has problems organising his/her thoughts which means that when talking, the patients changes from one topic to another and makes little sense.
The patient might make up words that do not exist and puts these made up words into sentences
The patient might string random words together in order to try to make a sentence and their speech pattern is very disorganised.
What is catatonic behaviour/grossly disorganised
The patient have a reduced reaction to environmental stimuli and in some cases might adopt rigid postures or aimless psychomotor activity. Can include rocking movements that some patients might demonstrate
The patients might have an inability/lack of motivation to initiate a task or complete it. They might dress/act in bizarre ways which seems strange and disorganised, e.g. wearing a think heavy jumper in the middle of summer
What is speech poverty
Speech is lessened in terms of fluency and productivity, this is because the patients thinking is slow and thoughts might be blocked. The patient might reply to questions with brief replies and minimal elaboration. Fewer words tend to be produced in a given amount of time when completing a task, e.g. naming as many animals as possible in one minute. Patients cannot spontaneously produce a long list of words.
What is avolition /apathy
The patient has a reduced interest/desire/inability to initiate/persist in goal directed behaviour that is available to them. For instance they are happy to sit and do nothing even though they have the opportunity to talk to other people around them and interact. This occurs mainly when the patient has poor hygiene/grooming, lack of persistence in work/education/lack of energy.
What is affective flattening/blunting
The patient will have a restricted ability to respond to emotional stimuli. The patient has a reduction in the range and intensity of emotional expressions e.g. facial expression, tone of voice, eye contact and body language. They may behave inappropriately in social situations e.g. laugh when they are told bad news, or cry when everyone is laughing at a joke.
What is affective flattening/blunting
The patient will have a restricted ability to respond to emotional stimuli. The patient has a reduction in the range and intensity of emotional expressions e.g. facial expression, tone of voice, eye contact and body language. They may behave inappropriately in social situations e.g. laugh when they are told bad news, or cry when everyone is laughing at a joke.
What is annedonia
General lack of interest in almost all activities and a lack of interest in pleasurable stimuli
The inability to experience any physical pleasure for instance from eating, body contact, sex, touch etc.
The inability to experience pleasure from interacting with others in different situations. The patient might withdraw and refuse to interact with others
