Schizophrenia and Psychoses Flashcards
A sensory experience vivid enough to be a hallucination but recognised by the subject not to be real.
Pseudohallucination
The subject hears voices which talk to them directly (e.g. “You’re going to die, you’re going to die”)
2nd person auditory hallucination
The subject hears voices talking about them but not to them, or commentating on their actions. (e.g. “he’s having a drink, now he’s going to the bathroom”)
3rd person auditory hallucination
False perception of a real stimulus. Three types: affect, completion and pareidolia.
Illusion
A perception which occurs in the absence of a stimulus. To the person this has the impact of a real perception and is indistinguishable. It occurs externally (not in the mind).
Hallucination
What is the difference between “illusion” and “hallucination”?
An illusion is based on a real sensory stimulus that is interpreted incorrectly whereas a hallucination is created by the mind without any stimulus.
What are the three types of illusion?
Pareidolia
Completion
Affect
What is a pareidolia illusion?
Seeing shapes in inanimate objects
What is a completion illusion?
The mind completes partial images
What is an affect illusion?
Based on the subject’s current affect
Seeing faces in clouds would be an example of which type of illusion?
Pareidolia illusion
Seeing a monster in the corner of the room when you are scared would be what type of illusion?
Affect illusion
A cluster of symptoms that often occur in chronic schizophrenia including poverty of speech, flat affect, poor motivation, poor attention and neglect.
Negative symptoms
A cluster of psychotic symptoms including hallucinations and delusions.
Positive symptoms
To the subject the external world appears unreal or artificial. They’re aware this is abnormal.
Derealisation
A change in awareness of self, in which the individual feels they’re not real and are detached from the world. They are aware this is abnormal.
Depersonalisation
A fixed firmly held belief that is held with unshakeable conviction despite evidence to the contrary and cannot be explained by the subject’s cultural or religious background.
Delusion
Extremely negative delusions of being dead or part of the body decaying.
Nihilistic delusions
Loss of structured thinking. The subject seems muddled and doesn’t become clearer with further questioning, things often seem more confusing the more you ask them.
Loosening of associations
Rapid flow of thought, manifested by accelerated speech with abrupt changes from topic to topic. There is often some form of link between topics. Often seen in mania.
Flight of ideas
Delusion of having of a higher status or significance, special powers or a secret mission.
Grandiose delusions
The subject receives a normal perception but it’s interpreted with delusional meaning and has immense significance (e.g. I know I’m the king as I saw the traffic light turn green)
Delusional perception
The subject believes their thoughts, feelings and/or actions are not their own but are being imposed/controlled by an outside force.
Delusion of control/passivity
Thoughts which are not believed to be the subject’s own infiltrate their mind. They often have bizarre explanations of how it’s happened.
Though insertion
The subject believes their thoughts are being shared with others (e.g. being broadcast on the radio)
Thought broadcast
The subject believes their thoughts have been removed from their mind by an external agency.
Thought withdrawal
The belief that innocuous events have direct personal significance to the subject (e.g. believing something on the TV is a direct message to them).
Ideas of reference
What is the difference between “thought broadcast” and “ideas of reference”?
In thought broadcast they believe their thoughts are being broadcast for others to receive. With ideas of reference they take special meanings from inoculous stimuli.