schizophrenia Flashcards
what is schizophrenia
severe, long-term mental health disorder characterised by psychosis
when does it often present and which gender presents earlier
It most often presents between ages 15 and 30 and earlier in men than women.
how long does the symptoms need to be present to diagnose schizophrenia
atleast 6 months
what is schizoaffective disorder
combines symptoms of schozophrenia with bipolar disorder. so have psychosis and symptoms of mania and depression
what is schizophreniform disorder
schizophrenia but lasts less than 6 months
what are the differential diagnoisis of psychosis
Mania
Psychotic depression
Drugs (e.g., hallucinogens and cannabis)
Stroke
Brain tumours
Cushing’s syndrome (e.g., patients taking systemic steroids)
Hyperthyroidism
Huntington’s disease
what causes schizophrenia
genetic and environmental factors. Affected family member is a risk factor
what is the prodrome phase of schizophrenia
precedes the full symptoms of psychosis.
what symptoms may patients experience during prodrome phase
1)poor memory,
2)reduced concentration,
3)mood swings,
4) suspicion of others,
5) loss of appetite,
6) difficulty sleeping,
7)social withdrawal and
8)decreased motivation.
what are the positive symptoms of psychosis
Delusions (beliefs that are strongly held and clearly untrue)
Hallucinations (perceiving things that are not real)
Thought disorder (disorganised thoughts causing abnormal speech and behaviour)
negative symptom of psychosis
Lack of insight is an important feature of psychosis. They lack awareness that the delusions and hallucinations are not based in reality.
key positive symptoms of typical schizophrenia
1)Auditory hallucinations (hearing voices, particularly a voice narrating the patient’s actions)
2)Somatic passivity (believing that an external entity is controlling their sensations and actions)
3)Thought insertion or thought withdrawal (believing that an external entity is inserting or removing their thoughts)
4)Thought broadcasting (believing that others are overhearing their thoughts)
5)Persecutory delusions (a false belief that a person or group is going to harm them)
6)Ideas of reference (a false belief that unconnected events or details in the world directly relate to them)
7)Delusional perceptions
what is delusional perception
occurs when the patient experiences an ordinary and unremarkable perception (e.g., a cat crossing the road) that triggers a sudden, often self-related delusion (e.g., “and I knew I would be meeting the aliens on behalf of humanity”).
what are the negative symptoms of schizophrenia
include the four As:
Affective flattening (minimal emotional reaction to emotive subjects or events)
Alogia (“poverty of speech” – reduced speech)
Anhedonia (lack of interest in activities)
Avolition (lack of motivation in working towards goals or completing tasks)
plus A reduced level of functioning is an important feature. This involves reduced or impaired:
Social engagement
Productivity and achievement at work or school
Self-care
the pattern of active-phase symptoms of psychosis may be
Continuous
Episodic (relapsing and remitting)
A single episode only
