Schizophrenia

Question 1

What is schizophrenia?

Answer 1

• a profound disruption of cognition and emotion
  
  • affects a persons language, thought, perceptions and sense of self

Question 2

What are the five symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 2

Delusions (Positive)
- fixed beliefs that are not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence which can include a variety of themes
e.g persecutory delusions, referential delusions, grandiose delusions, erotomanic delusions, nihilistic delusions

Hallucinations
- perception like experiences that occur without an external stimulus
e.g auditory hallucinations, tachle hallucinations

• Disorganised thinking (positive)
• Grossly disorganised or abnormal behaviour
• Negative symptoms
  • diminished emotional expression
  • avolition

Question 3

Diagnosis of schizophrenia

Answer 3

• patients are diagnosed against a set criteria

Uk and europe
-ICD-10
the international statistical classification of diseases and related health problems

USA
- DSM-5

• both of these classification systems aim to clarify the symptoms of illnesses in order to enable professionals to diagnose patients
  
  • these can overlap as they have similar or identical symptoms
  • however these symptoms could be culturally biased as they are created in the west and are based on the western ideals of mental health

Question 4

Criteria for ICD-10

Answer 4

• delusions of control
• hallucinatory voices
• persistent delusions
• catatonic behaviour

Question 5

Criteria for DSM-5

Answer 5

hallucinations
disorganised speech
negative symptoms
delusions
disorganised behaviour

• for both symptoms the level of function has to be significant and long term
• the disturbance should not be caused by substance use
• if the patient has a history of autism or communication disorders from childhood