schizophrenia Flashcards
What is a positive symptom of Schizophrenia?
An excess or distortion of normal functions e.g hallucinations
What is a negative symptom of Schizophrenia?
A diminution or loss of normal functions e.g avolition
What are auditory hallucinations? (positive)
The person often hears voices in their head. They might be angry or urgent and demand that they do things. It can sound like 1 voice or many. They might whisper, murmur, or be angry and demanding.
What are visual hallucinations? (positive)
Someone might see lights, objects, people or patterns. Often it is loved ones who have passed. They may also have trouble with depth, perception and distance.
What are olfactory and gustatory hallucinations? (positive)
These can include good and bad smells and tastes. Someone might believe they’re being poisoned and refuse to eat.
What are tactile hallucinations? (positive)
This creates a feeling of things moving on your body, such as hands or insects.
What are persecutory delusions? (positive)
These may make you feel that someone is out for you and you’re being stalked, hunted, framed or tricked.
What are somatic delusions? (positive)
These centre on the body. The person thinks they have a terrible illness or bizarre health problem such as worms under the skin or damage from cosmic rays.
What are erotomanic delusions? (positive)
A person might be convinced a celebrity is in love with them or their partner is cheating on them.
What are religious delusions? (positive)
Someone might think they have a special relationship with a deity or that they’re possessed by a demon.
What are psychomotor disturbances? (positive)
Some people with schizophrenia can seem jumpy. At times they’ll make the same movements over and over but sometimes they might remain perfectly still for hours at a stretch, which experts call being catatonic.
What is Anhedonia? (negative)
The person may not seem to enjoy anything anymore.
What is speech poverty (alogia)? (negative)
The inability to speak properly, characterised by lack of ability to produce fluent words. Thought to reflect slowing or blocked thoughts and can manifest itself as short and empty replies to questions.
What is Avolition?
The reduction, difficulty or inability to start and continue with a goal- directed behaviour. It’s often mistaken for apparent disinterest.
What is reliability?
Refers to the consistency of a diagnosis, including inter-rater reliability where the same diagnosis is made by 2 or more assessors.
What are the cultural differences in diagnosis of schizophrenia?
Harrison et al (1984) suggested those of West Indian origin were over diagnosed by white docs in Bristol.
Copeland wt al (1971) gave a description of a patient to 132 US and 194 British psychiatrist. 69% of the US psychiatrists diagnosed schizo however only 2% of the British did. no research has found cause for this so suggests the symptoms of the ethnic minorities are misinterpreted.
What is validity?
The extent to which the methods used to diagnose mental illness are accurate- e.g the methods are able to distinguish schizo from other similar disorders.
What is Co-morbidity
extent to which 2+ conditions occur together calling into question the diagnosis validity. Buckley et al (2009) found around 1/2 the patients also had diagnosed depression. Could be that severe depression can present as schizo as they both have low motivation levels.
What is symptom overlap?
Extent to which the symptoms of 1 disorder are also present in another disorder. E.G schizo and bipolar disorder both include symptoms like delusions and avolition.
What is gender bias?
Since 1980s men have been diagnosed with schizo more commonly (7.5). Gender bias can either occur due to gender bias criteria in the DSM or clinicians allowing their diagnosis to be influenced by stereotypes.
Broverman found US clinicians equated mentally healthy with mentally healthy males.
What is culture bias?
Cochrane (1977) reported the incidence of schizo in the West Indies and UK is 1%. Afro-Caribbean origin is 7x more likely to be diagnosed when living in the UK. Therefore the validity of the diagnosis for many people of the Afro-Caribbean origin might lack validity.
AO3 for issues in diagnosis and classification- symptom overlap?
TOP: much supporting evidence that symptom overlap does impact the validity of the diagnosis.
POINT: Ophoff et al (2011) assessed genetic material from 50,000 ppts to find that of 7 gene locations on the genome associated with schizo, 3 were also associated with bipolar disorder suggesting a genetic overlap between the 2 and a reason.
TAIL: lack of distinction calls into question the validity of both the classification and diagnosis of schizo.
AO3 for issues in diagnosis and classification- co- morbidity
TOP: there’s imperial support that co-morbidity can impact the validity of a diagnosis
POINT: schizo is commonly diagnosed with other conditions e.g half of those diagnosed also have a diagnosis of depression or substance abuse.
TAIL: impacts the validity of a diagnosis as patients may be diagnosed with co-morbid disorder but not the other. This can be especially true for patients diagnosed with schizo and depression as primarily negative symptoms are displayed and can be present as if the patient only has depression.
AO3 for issues in diagnosis and classification- gender bias.
TOP: an issue with gender bias impacting the diagnosis is that not only do they lack validity but women may not receive the treatment they need.
POINT: according to Longenecker et al (2010) schizo diagnosis may suffer from gender bias due to the disproportionate number of men diagnosed with the disorder compared to women. Could be more men are diagnosed as they are more genetically vulnerable but also could be that women are able to function better with the disorder than men. Cotton et al (2009) said female patients seem more able to continue in work and have good family relationships
TAIL: although women may show the same symptoms, they don’t get a diagnosis meaning they don’t receive the adequate care which can have devastating consequences as if schizo isn’t treated brain atrophy can occur.
