Psychosis Flashcards
To develop an understanding of the term “psychosis” To be able to identify the key features of psychosis To be able to define and discuss the different key concepts To understand the difference between functional and organic psychosis To understand the basic concepts that distinguish the different psychiatric diagnoses To develop a broad understanding of the differences between schizophrenia and bipolar disorders
what are the two broad categories of mental illness ?
- Psychosis
- Neurosis
what is neurosis ?
A relatively mild mental illness that is not caused by organic disease, involving symptoms of stress (depression, anxiety, obsessive behaviour, preoccupation with physical illnesses) but not a radical loss of touch with reality.
List the symptoms of stress that are experienced in neurosis
- stress
- depression
- anxiety
- obsessive behaviour
What is the main difference between neurosis and psychosis regarding the individual’s connection to reality?
- Neurosis: Individuals maintain a grip on reality, despite experiencing emotional and psychological distress.
- Psychosis: Individuals lose touch with reality.
Define psychosis
A severe mental disorder involving grossly impaired reality testing, i.e individuals incorrectly evaluate the accuracy of their thoughts and perceptions, making incorrect inferences about external reality even when evidence contradicts these beliefs.
How does psychosis affect social and personal functioning?
- It causes severe impairment of social and personal functioning.
What are the characteristics of severe impairment of social and personal functioning associated with psychosis ?
- social withdrawal
- inability to perform the usual social and household occupational roles.
What is a key feature of psychosis ?
Lack of insight
what communication tool can help with understanding the patient’s symptoms ?
empathy
what does emapthy involves when trying to understand the patient’s symptoms ?
- it involves observation, questioning, re-phrasing and checking if you’ve got it right (check understanding)
What are psychotic symptoms characteristic of?
Psychotic symptoms are characteristsics of many disorders.
Are psychotic symptoms specifically diagnostic for any disorder?
No.Even though they are characteristic of many disorders ,they are not specifically diagnostic for any.
example : most people with schizophrenia
experience hallucinations, but not everyone
who has hallucinations suffers from
schizophrenia
How can psychotic symptoms be described in terms of subtlety?
They can be very subtle (vague) and difficult to elicit
how can the experiences in psychosis be generally desccribed ?
They can be described as generally experiences that are beyond that of “normal experience.”
How do psychotic symptoms occur?
they occur in a continuum.
What characterizes one pole of the continuum of psychotic symptoms?
One pole: Grossly disorganized speech and behavior. Difficult or impossible to get a coherent account of the symptoms.
What characterizes the other pole of the continuum of psychotic symptoms?
The other pole: Symptoms are mild and difficult to distinguish from “normal.”
Which patients fall between the poles of the continuum of psychotic symptoms ?
Between the poles fall the patients whose symptoms are easier to spot.
Are any symptoms of psychosis definitive for a disorder?
None of the symptoms alone is definitive of any disorder.
Since the symptoms for sychosis are not specific for any disorder ,How can you reach a diagnosis ?
- Always provide a differential diagnosis for each symptom.
- Then settle on a diagnosis that fits the pattern best.
What are the key defining features of psychotic disorders ?
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Disorganised thinking (speech)
- Grossly disorganised or abnormal motor behaviour
(including catatonia) - Negative symptoms
give example of the negative symptoms of sychosis
- social withdrawal
- loss of volition
- loss of motivation
- Alogia (poverty of thought and speech)
- Anhedonia
list examples of pyschtic disorders
- Schizophreniform psychosis
- Schizophrenia
- Schizoaffective disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Brief psychotic disorder
- Psychosis secondary to another medical condition
- Substance-induced psychosis
Define Delusions
fixed, firmly held, false
belief which is not amenable to change even in the face of contradictory evidence
What are some themes of delusions?
Variety of themes include:
*Persecutory
*Religious
*Grandiose
*Somatic
*Referential
*Nihilistic
what is a bizarre delusion
Delusion that is clearly implausible and not
understandable to same culture peers.
- And do not derive from ordinary life
experiences.
What are examples of bizarre delusions?
Bizarre delusions include:
*Thought withdrawal
*Thought insertion
*Delusions of control
*Thought broadcasting
What is a persecutory delusion?
A persecutory delusion involves the belief that one is being targeted, harassed, or conspired against by others, often leading to feelings of paranoia.
What is a religious delusion?
This type of delusion involves beliefs that are centered around religious themes.Individuals may believe that they possess divine powers, or are on a mission from God.
What is a grandiose delusion?
A grandiose delusion is characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, power, or identity, where individuals believe they have exceptional abilities or fame
What is a somatic delusion?
A somatic delusion involves the belief that one has a physical illness or defect, despite medical evidence to the contrary.
What is a referential delusion?
A referential delusion involves the belief that common elements of the environment are directly related to oneself, such as thinking that media contains hidden messages about them.
What is a nihilistic delusion?
A nihilistic delusion is characterized by the belief that oneself, others, or the world does not exist or has been destroyed, often leading to feelings of despair.
a belief that one is under
surveillance by the police, despite a lack
of any convincing evidence
* Is this a non-bazarre or bazarre delusion ?
non-bazarre
A belief that someone has
implanted a chip in one’s brain and that this “other” is controlling one’s actions or behaviour.
Is this a non-bazarre or bazarre delusion ?
Bazarre
Individuals may feel that they are dead or that the world is coming to an end, leading to feelings of despair and hopelessness.
What type of delusion is this ?
Nihilistic Delusion
An individual thinks that television shows, songs, or news articles are specifically about them or contain hidden messages directed at them. What type of delusion is this ?
Referential Delusion
Someone thinking they are a famous celebrity or a historical figure. what type of delusion is this ?
Grandiose Delusion
How can delusions be categorized?
SYSTEMATIZED or FRAGMENTARY
explain what is a systematized delusion ?
A systematized delusion is a type of delusion where the individual forms an association of ideas that fit into a coherent narrative, even though the narrative is implausible. The beliefs are organized and interconnected.
explain what is a fragmentary delusion ?
A fragmentary delusion is characterized by bits of poorly or non-associated ideas. These delusions lack coherence and do not form a unified narrative, making them more disorganized and disconnected.
What is the distinction between a strongly held belief and a delusion?
The distinction between a strongly held belief and a delusion primarily lies in the degree of conviction and the response to contradictory evidence.
How does the response to contradictory evidence differ between a strongly held belief and a delusion?
A strongly held belief may be reconsidered or discussed when presented with clear contradictory evidence, while a delusion remains unchanged and resistant to any evidence that contradicts it.
List the causes of delusions
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar Disorder
- Delusional disorder
- Schizoaffective disorder
- Dementia
- Delirium
- Neoplasms
- Epilepsy
- Traumatic brain injury
- Vitamin deficiencies (pellagra)
- Endocrinopathies (thyroid, etc.)
What is one major cause of delusions related to severe mental illness?
Schizophrenia
Which mood disorder can lead to delusions?
Bipolar Disorder
What is a specific disorder characterized by persistent delusions?
Delusional Disorder
Which disorder combines symptoms of schizophrenia and mood disorders?
Schizoaffective Disorder
What cognitive decline condition can cause delusions?
Dementia