Schizophrenia Booklet 1: Classification and Symptoms Flashcards
Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder characterised by…
severe disruptions in psychological functioning and loss of contact with reality
What percentage of the population suffer from schizophrenia?
1%
Where is schizophrenia most common?
Amongst men, rather in cities than the countryside and in working class rather than middle-class people
What will people who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia display?
They won’t all display the same behaviour so the majority of the classification systems include lists of symptoms
What are the two main classification systems?
-World Health Organisation’s ICD-10
-American DSM-V (DSM-5)
What does a person need to be diagnosed with sz?
Two or more symptoms for more than one month
What does it mean if a disorder is co-morbid?
Two conditions co-exist at the same time, so a person with SZ might also be suffering another mental health condition at the same time
What are all the positive and negative symptoms of SZ?
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-Hallucinations
-Delusions
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-Avolition
-Speech poverty
what is a positive symptom?
Additional experiences an individual doesn’t usually have, positive because you are adding something to behaviour that’s irregular
What are hallucinations?
Unusual experiences linked to one or more of the senses, these split into
-Auditory hallucinations
-Visual hallucinations
What are delusions?
Irrational beliefs that a person has about something and can take a range of forms, these include
-Delusions of persecution
-Delusions of grandeur
What are negative symptoms of SZ?
The loss of usual abilities and experiences
What is avolition?
When a person fails to engage in goal directed activity, so stop making effort to do something in order to achieve results. Appear to have no motivation to do anything.
What is speech poverty?
When a person has a reduction in the amount or quality of speech. For example, may speak infrequently, may lack fluency or may give brief responses during conversation.
