Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology🧠 > Schizophrenia > Flashcards

Schizophrenia Flashcards

1
Q

Define schizophrenia

A

A severe mental illness in which contact with reality and insight are impaired.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the DSM?

A

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

5th version

Mainly used in the US

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is the ICD?

A

International Classification of Diseases

11th version

Mainly used in UK and Europe

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are Positive symptoms?

A

Additional symptoms that interfere with reality. They are in addition to their normal experiences.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are Negative symptoms?

A

The loss of abilities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Who is most common to get schizophrenia?

A

Men who live in a city with a low socio-economic status

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are the positive symptoms in the classification for schizophrenia?

A

Delusions: unshakable belief in something that is very unlikely, bizarre or obviously untrue.

Disorganised Speech: often known as a ‘word salad’ where an individual speaks in ways that are completely incomprehensible.

Hallucinations: bizarre and unreal perceptions of the environment. These can be auditory, visual, olfactory, or tactile.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are the negative symptoms in the classification of schizophrenia?

A

Speech Poverty: alogia, where speech becomes lessened. It may be difficult to produce words or coherent sentences.

Affective Flattening: a lack of emotions where the persons voice becomes dull and monotonous and their face takes a constant blank appearance.

Catatonic or Disorganised Behaviour: individual behaves in ways that seem inappropriate or strange to the norms of society e.g. lack of motivation.

Avolition: apathy, where they have a lack of motivation to follow through plans and neglect household chores.

Anhedonia: inability to enjoy things that they used to enjoy, food (physical anhedonia) or social withdrawal (social anhedonia).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is diagnostic reliability?

A

Means that a diagnosis of schizophrenia must be repeatable.

Clinicians must be able to reach the same conclusions at 2 different points in time.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is IRR?

A

Inter-rater reliability

Measured by a statistic called a Kappa score
1- indicates perfect inter-rater agreement
0- indicates zero agreement

0.7 or above is considered good.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is gender bias?

A

Said to occur when accuracy of diagnosis is dependent on the gender of an individual, effects accuracy.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Is there any symptom overlap with schizophrenia?

A

Bipolar disorder also involves positive symptoms like delusions and negative symptoms like avolition.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is comorbidity, and outline the research?

A

When 2 or more conditions are happening at the same time.

Buckley et al. found that comorbid depression occurred in 50% of his patients
Kessler argues that comorbid depression is a common cause for suicidal behaviour in SZ individuals.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Evaluate the classification of SZ

A

+ Buckley found co-morbidity rates with SZ, depression 50%, drug abuse 47%

  • 153 patients diagnosed by multiple doctors had only a 54% concordance rate between Drs assessments, Low IRR
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What 4 things make up the biological explanation of schizophrenia?

A

Family studies
Adoption studies
Twin studies
Candidate genes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Describe family studies as a biological explanation

A

Schizophrenia is more common among biological relatives, and the closer the degree of relative the higher the risk.

Gottesman and Shields: children with 2 SZ parents has a concordance rate of 46%. Children with 1 SZ parent had a concordance rate of 13%.
Siblings were 9%
Cousin, uncle, aunt were 2%
Nephew, niece were 4%
Grandchild 5%
Ferternal twins 17%
Identical twins 48%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Describe adoption studies as a biological explanation

A

Tienari et al. (Finland) found 164 adoptees whose bio mothers had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, 11 also were diagnosed with SZ.

Compared to just 4/197 control adoptees.

Clearly a genetic component

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Describe twin studies as a biological explanation

A

Gottesman and Shields found concordance rate monozygotic=48%
dizygotic=17%
Therefore SZ is inherited through genes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Describe candidate genes as a biological explanation

A

SZ is polygenic

Ripke looked at date of genome wide studies:
37,000 with SZ compared to 133,000 controls

The are 108 different genetic variations to have an increased risk of SZ

SZ is aetiologically hetrogenous.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Evaluate the genetic factors

A
  • Concordance rates from both family studies can be explained by factors other than genetics: could be down to external factors, childhood, diet?
  • Twin studies for SZ have very small sample sizes, so we cannot generalise to the whole population.
  • Many of these studies are dated, there has since been changes in the diagnostic criteria so therefore may not be relevant to now.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the role of dopamine neurons?

A

Instrumental in regulating attention, active in the limbic system (an area of the brain governing emotion) .

If disturbed may lead to problems with attention, perception and thought.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Outline the original dopamine hypothesis

A

-Messages from neurons that transmit dopamine fire is too easily or too often leading to symptoms of SZ.
-Schizophrenics are thought to have abnormally high numbers of D2 receptors on recieving neurons resulting in more dopamine binding therefore more neurons firing.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are Amphetamines in the original dopamine hypothesis?

A

a dopamine agonist, stimulates nerve cells to be flooded - large doses can cause hallucinations and delusions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What are antipsychotic drugs in the original dopamine hypothesis?

A

Are antagonists, reduce stimulation of dopamine system, hallucinations are eliminated.

25
Q

Outline the updated Dopamine Hypothesis

A

Attempts to explain the cause of abnormal dopamine levels.

Current thinking (Howes et al) is a combination of genetic variations and early experiences of stress can make an individual more sensitive to hypodopaminergia and therefore sub-cortical hyperdopaminergia.

Davis et al. suggested the edition of cortical hypodopaminergia which is the low levels of dopamine in the cortex , which can explain the cognitive symptoms of SZ.

26
Q

Evaluate the dopamine hypothesis

A

+ Meta analysis of 212 studies, found drug treatments work via normalising dopamine levels were more effective than a placebo.

27
Q

What is the psychological explanation for schizophrenia and its sub sections?

A

Family dysfunction

The schizophrenogenic mother
Double blind theory
Expressed Emotion

28
Q

Describe the schizophrenogenic mother explanation

A

By Fromm-Reichmann

-cold, dominant and creates conflict
-This was thought to cause SZ to emerge in a child.
-Distruct and instability was thought to induce a schizophrenic reaction in their offspring.

29
Q

What are some problems with the schizophrenogenic mother explanation?

A

-Only a small % women fit the criteria
-Hard to establish cause + effect
-No such thing

30
Q

Describe the Double Blind Theory

A

Bateson et al.

Family climate is important but so is communication. It is a risk factor, not the only factor.

Mixed messages, feels unable to do the correct thing.

31
Q

Evaluate the double blind theory

A

+ Research support: Berger reported higher recall of double blind statements in schizophrenics than non-SZ

  • Hall and Levin found no difference in patterns of parental research.
32
Q

Describe the Expressed emotion

A

Level of negative emotion towards a patient by their carers.
-Verbal criticism
-Hostility and rejection
-Emotional ever-involvement from patient

High levels of expressed emotion is a source of stress.

33
Q

Evaluate expressed emotion

A

+ Research support: Brown- families with high expressed emotions= 58% schizophrenia returning to hospital for further treatment.

  • Methodological issues: levels of EE are often measured by one interview.
34
Q

Evaluate psychological explanations, family dysfunction

A

-Lack of research support: Read et al. 69% women and 59% men with SZ had a history of physical/sexual abuse as a child.

-Socially sensitive: Parents who have suffered seeing their child with SZ received blame for the condition.

+Research support: the schizophrenic mother and double blind theories are based on clinical observations and early evidence involved assessing patients mothers for ‘crazy-making characteristics’

35
Q

What is CBTp and its key points?

A

Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis

  • 5-20 sessions (at least 16)
    -Aims to identify and change irrational thoughts
    -Cope with symptoms
    -Involves arguement + discussion
36
Q

What is the procedure of CBTp?

A

-Assessment
-Engagement
-ABC model
-Normalisation
-Critical collaborative analysis
-Developing alternative explanations

Offer psychological explanations can reduce anxieties

Challenge delusions to learn beliefs are not realities

apple eclairs are not cool desserts

37
Q

Evaluate CBTp

A

+ Drury et al. found a reduction in positive symptoms in those taking CBTp.

+ Kuipers: lower drop out rates and greater patient satisfaction were present when CBTp was used alongside drugs.

  • Not all are offered: found 187 patients randomly selected from NW England, 6.9% had been offered CBTp.
38
Q

What is a token economy?

A

A technique which reinforces appropriate behaviour by giving or witholding tokens.

39
Q

What is institutionalisation?

A

Patients who spend a long time in psychiatric hospitals become institutionalised and would not cope in every day life.

40
Q

Explain how Ayllon + Azrin used a token economy

A

Used a token economy in a womens ward in a mental institution in the US.

-Rewarded tokens for self-care
-Exchanged for privileges
-Desirable behaviours increased significantly
-Decreased significantly once system was withdrawn.

41
Q

Evaluate Token economies

A

+ Evidence of effectiveness- studies showed a reduction in negative symptoms.

  • Ethical issues: gives professionals considerable power to control patient behaviour.
  • Alternative approaches: these may not raise the same ethical issues

MORE DETAIL

42
Q

What are the 3 parts of the interactionist approach?

A

Biological: genetics, neurochemicals, abnormality
Psychological: stress
Societal: poor quality interactions

43
Q

What is the Diathesis stress model in the interactionist approach?

A

-Vulnerability to SZ and stress trigger
-One or more underlying factors make a person vulnerable.

44
Q

What is Meehl’s Model?

A

Original DSM vulnerability was genetic (single schizogene) which leads to a schizotypal personality.

Carriers= chronic stress in childhood and presence of a schizophrenogenic mother.
No single schizogene= no amount of stress would lead to SZ.

45
Q

What is the modern understanding of diathesis?

A

There is no single gene: many genes may appear to increase genetic vulnerability.

Range of factors beyond genetics: psychological trauma as a diathesis.

Neurodevelopment model: early trauma alters the developing brain.

46
Q

What is the modern understanding of stress?

A

Originally stress was seen as psychological in nature and related to parenting.

Modern- anything that risks triggering SZ e.g cannabis use as a stressor.

47
Q

Outline family therapy

A

-Focus on helping family members support someone who has schizophrenia in the best way.
-Help family members deal with some problems of living with people with SZ

48
Q

What is the aim of family therapy

A

Reduce high level of expressed emotion within household which can cause relapse.

49
Q

How does family therapy work?

A
  • In their home
    -3 to 12 months with sessions every 2-4 weeks
    -Minimum 10 sessions

-Make sure family members have all info about diagnosis
-Encouraged to ask questions
-All views listened to
-Practical skills to cope

50
Q

Outline research evidence for family research

A

Hogarty- at a 2 year follow up 25% of those who recieved family intervention relapsed compared to 62% only getting medication.

Pharoah- found family therapy improved patients mental health and social functioning. Reduced hospital admissions and relapse rates.

51
Q

to do

A

research drugs
evaluations
double blind

52
Q

What are antipsychotics?

A

Medications used to control symptoms of psychosis, e.g. delusions and hallucinations.

Taken in pill form or injected

53
Q

What are typical antipsychotics?

A

1st generation drug therapy used since the 1950s that are less popular due to severe side effects and only treat positive symptoms.

e.g. Chlorpromazine

54
Q

How do typical antipsychotics work?

A

Dopamine antagonists (reduce dopamine activity) by blocking dopamine receptors at the synapse

55
Q

Side effects of typical antipsychotics?

A

Dry mouth, constipation, lethargy, confusion, tardive dyskinesia.

56
Q

What are atypical antipsychotics?

A

2nd generation drug therapy that avoid the more severe side effects

eg. Clozapine

57
Q

How do atypical antipsychotics work?

A

Block dopamine receptors but also act on other neurotransmitters eg. acetylcholine

Address the negative symptoms

58
Q

What are the side effects of atypical antipsychotics?

A

Weight gain, cardiovascular problems.

59
Q

Evaluate biological treatments for SZ (drugs)

A

+ Meta analysis including 212 studies, found drug treatment for symptoms was more effective than placebo.

+ Cheap compared to hospital treatment such as therapy.

  • May only suppress symptoms and not treat the underlying problem.

Psychology🧠 (11 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions