Schizophrenia Flashcards
What is Schizophrenia?
A severe mental disorder affecting thought, emotion and behaviour
What are the 2 main classification systems for Schizophrenia?
DSM-5
ICD-10
What is the primary difference between DSM-5 and ICD-10?
DSM-5 requires 1 positive symptom
ICD-10 requires 2 negative symptoms
What is a positive symptom of Schizophrenia?
Additional behaviours like delusions and hallucinations
What is negative symptom?
loss of usual abilities like speech poverty or avolition
What are the evaluation points for DSM-5 and ICD-10?
+) DSM-5 is reliable
-) Symptom overlap complicates diagnosis
-) cultural bias exists
How is the reliability of DSM-5 a strength of the classifications of Schizophrenia?
P - DSM - 5 is reliable
Ev - 97% reliability (Osorio 2019)
Ex - consistient diagnosis
L - Supports DSM-5
How is symptom overlap a limitation of the classification of the classifications of Schizophrenia?
P - symptom overlap complicates diagnosis
Ev - Schizophrenia shares avolition with BPD
Ex - misdiagnosis risk
L - overlap reduces clarity
How is cultural bias a limitation of the classification of schizophrenia?
P - British- African Carribean people impacted
Ev - Cultural views misinterpreted (Escobar 2012)
Ex - leads to diagnostic error
L - cultural context matters
What are hallucinations in Schizophrenia?
Sensory experiences that distort reality, often auditory
What are delusions in Schizophrenia?
beliefs are not based in reality, bizarre behaviour
How do positive symptoms affect daily life?
disrupt reality
impair functioning and relationships
What is speech poverty?
reduced speech
poor quality of speech
What is avolition?
loss of motivation
leading to low activity
Why are negative symptoms hard to treat?
They often persist despite medication and therapy
End of classifications of Schizophrenia
Start of biological explanations
What is the dopamine hypothesis?
Schizophrenia is caused by excessive dopamine activity in the brain
How does genetics contribute to schizophrenia?
Genetic factors increase risk, especially in close relatives
What is a neural correlate or schizophrenia?
Brain activity patterns linked to symptoms
e.g reduced striatum activity
What did Gottesman find?
risk of schizophrenia increases with genetic similarity to a person with the condition
2% - aunt
9% - sibling
What did Ripke et al tell us about Schizophrenia?
108 genetic variations each slightly raise the risk of Schizophrenia
What did Brown et al tell us about paternity and Schizophrenia?
positive correlation between paternal age and risk of Schizophrenia
0.7% - fathers under 25
2% - fathers 50+
What is Schizophrenia considered to be?
polygenic
What is evidence for the dopamine hypothesis?
Amphetamines mimic schizophrenia symptoms while antipsychotics alleviate them (Curran and Tauscher et al)
What are the evaluation points for the biological explanation of Schizophrenia?
+) RS for genetic basis
+) RS for dopamine hypothesis
+) Environmental contributions to Schizophrenia
C.P -> relied on self-report
How is research support for genetic basis a strength of the biological explanations of Schizophrenia?>
Point: Schizophrenia risk increases with genetic similarity.
Evidence: Gottesman (1991): 9% sibling risk; Ripke (2014): 108 genes.
Link: Genetics play a key role.
Explanation: Schizophrenia arises from multiple genetic factors
How is research support for the dopamine hypothesis a strength of the biological explanation for Schizophrenia?
Point: Dopamine imbalance causes.
Evidence: Curran (2004): amphetamines.
Explanation: Dopamine explains symptoms.
Link: Research aids treatment.
How are environmental contributions to Schizophrenia a strength of biological explanations?
Point: Environment interacts with genetic risks.
Evidence: Morkved (2017): 67% of patients experienced trauma.
Explanation: Trauma supports diathesis-stress model.
Link: Prevention focuses on environmental factors.
How is self-report a counter of enviornmental contributions?
Research on trauma (e.g., Morkved et al., 2017) relies on retrospective self-reports, which may be biased.
