Psychosis

Question 1

Psychosis

Answer 1

a condition in which people have difficulty distinguishing what is real and not real
- hallucinations and delusions
- often accompanied by further symptoms like inappropriate behaviour, disorganized speech/thinking, dissociation, disturbed mood, social withdrawal

Question 2

Hallucinations

Answer 2

often associated with mental illness but can occur in healthy people too
- use of hallucinogens/stimulants
- sensory deprivation/loss
- sleep deprivation
- headache/migraine
- sleep paralysis

Question 3

True Hallucinations

Answer 3

perceived as entirely real by the person experiencing it

Question 4

Pseudo-hallucination

Answer 4

person is aware what they are experiencing is not real

Question 5

Grapheme-Colour Synesthesia

Answer 5

seeing letters and numbers as colourful

Question 6

Synesthesia

Answer 6

cross-modal activation of sensory information

Question 7

Incidence of Hallucinations by Age

Answer 7

grow less common with development

Question 8

Simple/Sporadic/Transient Auditory Hallucinations

Answer 8

very common in the general population
- like hearing someone say your name, vibration of phones, phantom ringing

Question 9

Auditory Voice Hallucinations

Answer 9

typically one the more characteristic and distressing symptoms of psychosis
- negative or commanding tone/content more common than positive content

Question 10

Delusions

Answer 10

beliefs which are poorly justified by evidence or reason, and persist despite evidence which strongly contradicts the belief
- pleas by others to abandon the belief are resisted/ignored

Question 11

Monothematic Delusions

Answer 11

following a single theme

Question 12

Polythematic Delusions

Answer 12

following many themes
- common in schizophrenia

Question 13

Brief Psychotic Disorder

Answer 13

various psychotic symptoms
- lasts less than a month

Question 14

Schizophreniform Disorder

Answer 14

various psychotic symptoms
- lasts 1-6 months

Question 15

Schizoaffective Disorder

Answer 15

marked symptoms of both schizophrenia and a major depressive episode or manic episode
- lasts 6 months or more

Question 16

Delusional Disorder

Answer 16

persistent delusions that are not bizarre and not due to schizophrenia; persecutory, jealous, grandiose, and somatic delusions are common
- lasts 1 month or more

Question 17

Psychotic Disorder due to another medical condition

Answer 17

hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized speech caused by a medical illness or brain damage
- no minumum length

Question 18

Substance/Medication Induced Psychotic Disorder

Answer 18

hallucination, delusions, or disorganized speech caused directly by a substance such as an abused drug
- no minumum length

Question 19

Schizophrenia

Answer 19

the most prevalent condition with psychosis as a central feature
- has positive and negative symptoms

Question 20

Positive Symptoms

Answer 20

the presence of an experience/behaviour that people don’t typically show
ie; hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech

Question 21

Negative Symptoms
ie; social withdrawal, flat affect, poverty of speech, avoilition/apathy

Answer 21

the lack of an experience/behaviour that people typically show

Question 22

Catatonia

Answer 22

abnormal movements or immobility

Question 23

Malignant Catatonia

Answer 23

catatonia accompanied by fever, kidney and vascular damage, pulmonary symptoms, which is life-threatening

Question 24

Avolition

Answer 24

patients with schizophrenia sometimes report that their thoughts and actions are happening out of their control

Question 25

Delusion of Control/Alien Control

Answer 25

some of those patients will additionally report that they are being controlled by another person or entity

Question 26

Phases of Schizophrenia

Answer 26

prodromal phase -> active phase -> residual phase

Question 27

Schizophrenia Treatment

Answer 27

• often hospitalized during episodes
• assisted living
• antipsychotics (act on dopamine and tend to act quicker on positive symptoms)

Question 28

CBT for Schizophrenia

Answer 28

• cognitive remediation; trains patients to improve their cognitive skills
• cognitive reinterpretation and acceptance; trains patient to recognize and accept hallucination for what they are, rather than creating delusional explanations for them
• goal is not to eliminate symptoms but to understand them more clearly and accept them

Question 29

Assertive Community Treatment

Answer 29

patients receive intensive assistance from an integrated team of carers
- consists of continuous contact with patients
- showed positive results

Question 30

Family Psychoeducation

Answer 30

patients and their families are provided with therapy in groups
- clients provide mutual support by sharing successes and struggles and learn ways to manage their symptoms and relationships

Question 31

Schizophrenia Causes

Answer 31

• genetics (gene variations, comorbid with conditions)
• dopamine hypothesis
• misinterpretation hypothesis
• dissociation hypothesis

Question 32

Dopamine Hypothesis

Answer 32

most effective anti-psychotic mediations act on dopamine
- drugs that affect dopamine, such as amphetamines, can induce psychosis

Question 33

Misinterpretation Hypothesis

Answer 33

people with psychosis misinterpret sensations/perceptions as anomalous and misattribute them to external forces
- could by due to dysfunctional sensorimotor networks, which allow us to distinguish intended and unintended movements/imagery

Question 34

Dissociation Hypothesis

Answer 34

hallucination could be a consequence of dissociation, with fragmented memories, thoughts, and emotions emerging into consciousness with intention or context
- these experiences are then misinterpreted as uncontrolled or foreign

Question 35

Psychosis and Trauma

Answer 35

symptoms of PTSD often have psychotic characteristics ie; vivid flashbacks, perceived lack old control
- significant relationship between childhood trauma and hallucinations
- certain types of trauma are associated with specific types of hallucinations ie; neglect with visual sensations or physic al abuse with tactile sensations
- more types of trauma experiences -> increased prevalence