Mental Health Conditions

Question 1

Is schizophrenia a mental health condition?

Answer 1

Yes

Question 2

What is a delusion?

Answer 2

Delusions are fixed beliefs that are not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence (not explained by culture)

Question 3

What is a hallucination?

Answer 3

Hallucinations are perception-like experiences that occur without an external stimulus

Question 4

State some sign and symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 4

• Delusions
• Hallucinations
• Disorganized speech
• Disorganized or abnormal behavior
• Diminished emotional expression
• Avolition (total lack of motivation that makes it hard to get anything done)
• Impoverished speech
• Anhedonia (lack of interest)
• Decline in interest in socialization and relationships

Question 5

What are some effects to cognition that arise from schizophrenia?

Answer 5

• Decline in processing speed
• Attention and working memory negatively affected
• Verbal and visual learning
• Problem solving
• Social cognition
• Anosognosia (lack of insight)

Question 6

Schizophrenia is a progressive disorder that can be treated but not cured.

True or False?

Answer 6

True

Question 7

This lifelong brain disorder is characterized by periods of psychosis.

Answer 7

Schizophrenia

Question 8

________ is the presence of hallucinations or delusions without insight, and/or disorganized thoughts/speech, abnormal motor behavior, and diminished volition and emotional expression.

Answer 8

Psychosis

Question 9

There is no one cause for schizophrenia, there are a number of models that attempt to explain the multiple factors that can contribute to the development of the disorder, name a few.

Answer 9

• Genetic vulnerability
• Environmental triggers
• Structural abnormalities in all regions of the brain
• Reduced activity in the frontal and temporal regions of the brain
• Abnormal cortical, sub-cortical brain connectivity
• Complications in prenatal development or delivery
• Complications in later development of the brain (chronic cannabis use, exposure to trauma)

Question 10

The incidence of schizophrenia is relatively ______

High or low?

Answer 10

Low

Question 11

Some studies have indicated that migrant status, lower economic status, residing in higher latitude or urban setting, and gender are factors associated with a higher incidence and prevalence of schizophrenia.

How might these variables also have an effect on an individual’s occupations while living with the disorder?

Answer 11

• Most likely would present an added challenge
• May be lacking adequate funds or social support to participate in meaningful occupations
• Progressive decline in daily living skills
• Work and education skills
• Social/relationship skills
• Basic self-care abilities

Question 12

Schizophrenia affects the brain, which regulates impulse control, judgment, affect, social skills and self-awareness. As a result people with schizophrenia may struggle with…

Answer 12

• Accepting or recognizing that they have the disorder
• Can lead to resistance to treatments that could help reduce or eliminate symptoms

Question 13

Resistance to treatments that could help reduce or eliminate symptoms is most-likely caused by what symptom of schizophrenia?

Answer 13

Lack of self-awareness (anosognosia)

Question 14

Delusions are categorized into bizarre and non-bizarre, explain the difference

Answer 14

Bizarre: characterized by beliefs or events that are clearly impossible and not related to everyday life experiences, such as belief that aliens have impregnated the person while he/she was asleep.

Non-Bizarre: involve situations that could possibly occur in real life, such as being followed, deceived or loved from a distance. An example could be the belief that all coworkers are talking about the person.

Question 15

Hallucinations are most commonly of which type?

Answer 15

Auditory

Question 16

Describe disorganized speech as it relates to schizophrenia

Answer 16

Speech content, which can provide clues about thought processes may encompass any type of disorganized thinking such as: loose associations (answers that begin to veer of track of the original question), tangential (unrelated comments or answers), incoherent (often referred to as word salad and is seen in more severe cases)

Question 17

Describe grossly disorganized behavior as it relates to schizophrenia

Answer 17

Unpredictable, socially inappropriate, behavior that interferes with daily activities. Examples include agitated or angry outbursts with no known provocation, sexually acting out in public, and difficulties performing goal directed tasks such as preparation and grooming

Question 18

Describe Catatonia as it relates to schizophrenia

Answer 18

An abnormal motor behavior characterized by a loss of responsiveness to environmental cues. The individual may assume rigid or bizarre postures and resist attempt to move or reposition him or her. Excessive, non-purposeful motor activity may also be observed. In severe cases, the individual appears to be completely unresponsive, as in a catatonic stupor.

Question 19

Negative symptoms are features that represent an absence of function or experience. Two prominent features of schizophrenia include diminished emotional expression and avolition. Please describe these features as they relate to the disorder

Answer 19

Diminished emotional expression is restricted facial expressions, eye contact, speech intonations and movements that are typically used to convey meaning or emphasize speech.

Avolition is lack of motivation to engage n social or productive activities.

Question 20

Alogia (impoverished speech), anhedonia (loss of pleasure in previously enjoyed activities), and asociality (decreased interest in socialization and maintenance of relationships) are all _______________ of schizophrenia

Answer 20

Negative symptoms

Question 21

Tests done on people with schizophrenia have shown impaired neurocognitive functioning in completing tasks requiring use of the frontal and temporal lobes, what might this impaired cognitive functioning look like?

Answer 21

Memory, attention, language, executive function (such as abstract reasoning and planning skills)

Question 22

Flattened or inappropriate affect is a common symptom of schizophrenia, and people with schizophrenia are more likely to identify difficulties in identifying and expressing emotions, this coupled with a limited ability to identify social cues, can lead to maladaptive ___________

Answer 22

Social functioning

Question 23

Dysphoria can be present during or following a psychotic episode, what does dysphoria entail?

Answer 23

A state of generalized unhappiness, restlessness, dissatisfaction, or frustration, and it can be a symptom of several mental health conditions.

Question 24

Onset of symptoms for schizophrenia can be gradual or acute, but there are usually earlier signs of dysfunction in both _____________ and ______________

Answer 24

Premorbid functioning and the period from birth to the prodromal phase (the prodromal phase is the period during which the individual is experiencing changes in feelings, thought, perceptions and behavior although they have not yet started experiencing clear psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions or thought disorder)

Question 25

Studies of premorbid functioning reveal subtle signs of problems in motor development, affect, and school performance. Impairments in cognitive functioning are often first documented by _________

Answer 25

Schools

Question 26

Noncompliance with medication and chronic substance abuse significantly increase the risk for relapse. Relapses, which are associated with deterioration in daily functioning, can also be triggered by…

Answer 26

Lack of available psychosocial treatment and support, noncompliance with psychosocial treatment, and environmental stressors

Question 27

People with schizophrenia die, on average, 12 to 25 years earlier than do those in the general population

True or False?

Answer 27

True, these deaths are usually related to pulmonary, cardiac, and infectious diseases and cancer. Complications from antipsychotic medications, self-neglect, fear of health-institutions, lack of access to healthcare and increased suicide rate are all contributing factors to this disparity in life expectancy

Question 28

The age of onset for schizophrenia is between ___ and ____ years of age and is typically earlier for _____ than _______

Answer 28

16 and 30 years of age
Earlier for males then females

Question 29

Childhood schizophrenia refers to a diagnosis before the age of ____ an is characterized by an insidious onset, rather than a clear first episode, with multiple neurodevelopmental impairments present prior to onset of psychotic or negative symptoms

Answer 29

13

Question 30

The focus of treatment for schizophrenia is to reduce or eliminate symptoms and to provide environmental supports to enhance quality of life. The primary treatment for symptom reduction is _______________

Answer 30

Medication

Question 31

Unfortunately, the side effects of “first-generation” or “typical” antipsychotics were often severe, including _________________, ______________, ____________, and ____________

Answer 31

Extrapyramidal syndrome (abnormal movements similar to Parkinson’s disease), tardive dyskinesia (motor abnormalities such as writhing movements), cardiac problems, and heavy sedation

Question 32

Antipsychotic medications can cause weight gain, cardiac problems, and other health risks.

True or False?

Answer 32

True

Question 33

Many individuals with schizophrenia have impaired motor functioning, visual processing deficits, and cognitive deficits, which, coupled with avolition and anhedonia symptoms can limit interest or ability to participate in traditional exercise, nutrition, or smoking cessation programs. The following describes impact on what type of occupational performance?

Answer 33

Basic activities of Daily Living

Question 34

Name some instrumental activities of daily living that may be difficult for those experiencing schizophrenia

Answer 34

The majority of people with schizophrenia do not live or work independently. The ability to work or succeed in school; to manage a household including cooking, cleaning, laundry, and budgeting; or to function as a caregiver requires multiple skills such as higher level cognitive processes, sensorimotor skills, and social interaction skills, all of which can be affected by the symptoms of schizophrenia.