Psychotic Disorders

Question 1

1. What is the most important causal factor in schizophrenia?

Answer 1

Biological factors, particularly genetic and neurobiological influences, are often considered crucial.

Question 2

Can schizophrenia be inherited?

Answer 2

Yes, schizophrenia has a genetic component, and family history can increase the risk.

Question 3

What are the most common delusions in schizophrenia?

Answer 3

Delusions of persecution, grandeur, or control are common.

Question 4

What are positive symptoms in schizophrenia?

Answer 4

hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech or behavior.

Question 5

What are negative symptoms in schizophrenia?

Answer 5

Negative symptoms involve diminished emotional expression, lack of motivation, and social withdrawal.

Question 6

What are disorganized symptoms in schizophrenia?

Answer 6

Disorganized symptoms include erratic behavior, speech incoherence, and inappropriate emotional responses.

Question 7

What is the prodromal phase of schizophrenia?

Answer 7

The prodromal phase is marked by early, vague symptoms like social withdrawal, unusual behavior, and changes in functioning.

Question 8

What is the active phase of schizophrenia?

Answer 8

In the active phase, the most severe symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech, are present.

Question 9

What is the residual phase of schizophrenia?

Answer 9

The residual phase follows the active phase, with symptoms reducing in intensity, but negative symptoms often remain.

Question 10

What is the DSM-5 definition of psychosis?

Answer 10

Psychosis in the DSM-5 is defined by the presence of delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, or grossly disorganized behavior.

Question 11

What age range is most commonly affected by schizophrenia?

Answer 11

Schizophrenia often emerges in late adolescence or early adulthood, typically between ages 15 and 35.

Question 12

What is the “attenuated psychosis disorder” (APD)?

Answer 12

APD refers to subclinical symptoms that may precede full-blown psychosis, but it was not adopted as a formal diagnosis in DSM-5.

Question 13

What does it mean for someone to be in the “relapse” phase of schizophrenia?

Answer 13

The relapse phase involves the re-emergence of positive symptoms like hallucinations or delusions after a period of symptom remission.

Question 14

What are hallucinations?

Answer 14

Hallucinations are sensory experiences, such as hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t present, and are a hallmark of psychotic disorders.

Question 15

What is the duration requirement for schizophrenia diagnosis?

Answer 15

Symptoms must be present for at least 6 months, with at least 1 month of active phase symptoms.

Question 15

What are delusions?

Answer 15

Delusions are false beliefs held with strong conviction despite evidence to the contrary, commonly seen in schizophrenia.

Question 16

How is the diagnosis of schizophrenia made according to DSM-5?

Answer 16

A diagnosis is made if at least two of five key symptoms (delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, negative symptoms) are present, with at least one being delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech.

Question 16

How do cultural factors influence the experience of mood disorders?

Answer 16

Cultural factors can affect stigma, symptom presentation, and the reporting of symptoms in mood disorders.

Question 17

What is the role of biological markers in schizophrenia research?

Answer 17

Schizophrenia research aims to uncover biological markers to better understand its neurobiological basis, although definitive markers have yet to be established.

Question 18

How does schizophrenia differ from other mental disorders in terms of recovery rates?

Answer 18

Schizophrenia tends to have lower recovery rates compared to other disorders, with less than 50% of patients recovering after 15-25 years.

Question 19

What is the difference between internal and external stimuli in psychosis?

Answer 19

In psychosis, individuals have difficulty distinguishing between internally generated thoughts or sensations and external reality.

Question 19

What are the three core symptom types in schizophrenia?

Answer 19

The three core symptom types are positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and disorganization.

Question 20

What are the key indicators for diagnosing schizophrenia in the active phase?

Answer 20

delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech.

Question 20

Why is schizophrenia considered a spectrum disorder?

Answer 20

due to the wide variability in symptom presentation and severity across individuals.

Question 20

What is the “split from reality” in psychosis?

Answer 20

This refers to the inability of individuals to distinguish between what is real and what is not, a hallmark of psychosis.

Question 21

What is the role of medication in treating schizophrenia?

Answer 21

Medication, often antipsychotics, is a key component of treatment, aiming to reduce symptoms like delusions and hallucinations.

Question 21

What is the significance of the “timing, onset, and duration” in diagnosing schizophrenia?

Answer 21

These factors help determine the stage of the disorder and ensure that the symptoms meet the required duration for diagnosis.

Question 21

What is the impact of psychotic features on daily functioning?

Answer 21

Psychotic features like delusions and hallucinations significantly impair the individual’s ability to function in everyday life.

Question 22

What is the difference between the residual phase and the prodromal phase?

Answer 22

The prodromal phase involves early, vague symptoms before the onset of full psychosis, while the residual phase follows the active phase, with reduced but still impairing symptoms.

Question 23

What is catatonic behavior in schizophrenia?

Answer 23

Catatonic behavior includes abnormal motor behavior, such as rigidity, excessive movement, or lack of response to external stimuli.

Question 24

What are auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia?

Answer 24

They are voices (familiar or unfamiliar) distinct from one’s own thoughts, often unpleasant and uncontrollable, and may issue instructions, tease, or comment.

Question 24

What auditory events do not count as schizophrenia symptoms?

Answer 24

Hypnogogic hallucinations (falling asleep), hypnopompic hallucinations (waking up), hearing your name called, and sounds caused by external events like ringing in ears.

Question 25

What defines delusions in schizophrenia?

Answer 25

Delusions are false, unshakable beliefs that are preoccupying and held despite contradictory evidence, reflecting a disturbance in thought content.

Question 26

What are common delusional themes in schizophrenia?

Answer 26

Themes include being controlled, persecution, and grandeur, such as feelings of being harassed or having special powers.

Question 27

How do delusions vary culturally?

Answer 27

Beliefs may not be delusional if they are shared by a cultural group, but unusual beliefs within a socio-cultural context may be considered delusional.

Question 28

What is disorganized speech in schizophrenia?

Answer 28

Speech that doesn’t make sense, marked by derailment, loose associations, or alogia (poverty of speech), reflecting disorganized thinking.

Question 28

What is catatonia in schizophrenia?

Answer 28

Catatonia is marked by reduced reactivity, motoric immobility, or excessive purposeless movement, such as pacing, often disconnected from external cues.

Question 28

What makes delusions hard to identify?

Answer 28

They may involve complex or fragmented belief systems, blending facts and fiction, making them difficult to disprove or fully understand.

Question 29

How is disorganized behavior in schizophrenia diagnosed?

Answer 29

Behavior is considered disorganized if it’s bizarre or incongruent with the situation, beyond aimlessness or agitation, reflecting disturbed thought processes.

Question 29

What are examples of disorganized speech?

Answer 29

Examples include word salad, tangential speech, derailment, and poverty of content, where speech is fragmented or unrelated to questions asked.

Question 30

What is delusional disorder?

Answer 30

Delusional disorder involves delusions without the broader range of schizophrenia symptoms like hallucinations or disorganized speech.

Question 31

What are negative symptoms in schizophrenia?

Answer 31

Negative symptoms include diminished emotional expression, avolition (lack of motivation), and alogia, often more subtle and harder to recognize.

Question 32

What is brief psychotic disorder?

Answer 32

It is a short-term disorder marked by psychotic symptoms like delusions or hallucinations, typically lasting less than a month.

Question 33

Is the cause of schizophrenia known?

Answer 33

No, the cause of schizophrenia is not fully known, and it may not have a single cause due to the heterogeneity of the disorder.

Question 33

Why were schizophrenia subtypes removed in DSM-5?

Answer 33

The subtypes were removed due to poor reliability in distinguishing them, and they were replaced with specifiers for better classification.

Question 34

What is the importance of sociocultural factors in schizophrenia diagnosis?

Answer 34

Sociocultural factors play a crucial role in identifying and diagnosing schizophrenia, as cultural context influences symptom presentation and interpretation.

Question 35

What is the primary theory regarding the cause of schizophrenia?

Answer 35

The primary theory is biological, and many factors, including genetics, are implicated. The main treatments are pharmacological.

Question 36

What role do genetics play in schizophrenia?

Answer 36

Genetics contribute to the risk, but do not provide a complete explanation. The risk is higher for family members of those affected, though not all relatives will develop the disorder.

Question 36

What is the diathesis-stress model in schizophrenia?

Answer 36

This model suggests that genetic predisposition (diathesis) interacts with environmental stressors, such as family environment, to increase the risk of schizophrenia.

Question 36

How do prenatal factors influence the risk of schizophrenia?

Answer 36

Pregnancy complications, maternal viral infections, dietary deficiencies, and stress during pregnancy are thought to impact neurodevelopment and increase the risk.

Question 36

What are the gender differences in schizophrenia?

Answer 36

Schizophrenia is more common in males, who tend to have earlier onset, more chronic symptoms, and a preponderance of negative symptoms.

Question 37

What challenges exist in studying neuroanatomical changes in schizophrenia?

Answer 37

It’s difficult to determine whether changes in brain structure and function are due to the illness itself, the effects of medication, or the experience of living with schizophrenia over time.

Question 37

What is the dopamine hypothesis in schizophrenia?

Answer 37

The dopamine hypothesis suggests that schizophrenia may involve abnormal dopamine activity, but it may be too narrow an explanation, as other neurotransmitters like glutamate also seem to play a role.

Question 38

How might substance use influence the development of schizophrenia?

Answer 38

Early cannabis exposure and high substance use may increase the risk of psychosis, particularly in adolescents at clinical high risk for psychosis.

Question 39

How do psychological interventions help people with schizophrenia?

Answer 39

Psychological interventions, like family-based therapies, physical activity, and social skills training, can be useful, especially for those stabilized on medication.

Question 40

What is the role of family environment in the development of schizophrenia?

Answer 40

High expressed emotion in family environments, such as criticism and overinvolvement, has been associated with increased risk and worse outcomes in schizophrenia.

Question 41

What is the relationship between psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and schizophrenia?

Answer 41

PLEs are not the same as psychosis but may indicate a risk for developing psychosis, particularly in young people with high substance use.

Question 42

What is the primary treatment for schizophrenia?

Answer 42

The primary treatment is antipsychotic medication, which works by blocking D2 dopamine receptors, but there are challenges such as side effects, poor compliance, and tolerance.

Question 43

What is the diathesis-stress model’s role in explaining schizophrenia?

Answer 43

It provides a promising explanation, recognizing both biological vulnerabilities and environmental stressors as contributing factors to the development of schizophrenia.

Question 44

What is the prognosis for people with schizophrenia?

Answer 44

Prognosis varies, with fewer than 25% recovering fully. Long-term treatment is often required, and outcomes depend on factors like gender, with males having a worse prognosis.