symptoms and features of Sz Flashcards
What are the four key symptoms required for a schizophrenia diagnosis according to DSM-5?
Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized thought
(requires at least two)
At least two of these symptoms must be present.
How long must active symptoms be present for a schizophrenia diagnosis according to DSM-5?
At least one month of active symptoms and six months of disturbance to everyday functioning
What is the main difference in the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia between DSM and ICD?
ICD places less focus on dysfunction and does not require six months of disturbance
This highlights a difference in how the two systems approach the diagnosis.
What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech/thought
These symptoms reflect an excess or distortion of normal functions.
What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
Lack of emotion, lack of speech, flat affect, mutism
These symptoms reflect a decrease or loss of normal functions.
What is thought insertion in the context of schizophrenia?
The belief that one’s thoughts do not belong to them and have been implanted by an external source, may experience blurring between self and others
This symptom can lead to confusion about self-identity.
What are hallucinations?
Involuntary and vivid perceptual experiences that occur in the absence of external stimuli
can be visual, olfactory (smell), somatosensory (bodily feelings) or auditory(most common, experienced as hearing voices distinct from out own)
Auditory hallucinations, such as hearing voices, are the most common in schizophrenia.
What are delusions?
Fixed beliefs that are not easily persuaded to change
may be bizarre or relate to everyday life
many forms (e.g. persecutory (someone trying to harm you) or referential (when environmental cues have personal meanings)
They can relate to everyday life or may be bizarre in nature.
What is disorganized thought inferred from?
Speech, such as derailment or going on tangents
may be difficult to follow a persons train of thought
random blending of words together leading to dysfunctional communication
This makes it difficult to follow the person’s train of thought.
What is the lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia?
0.3-0.7%
This prevalence can vary with ethnicity, nationality, and geographic origin.
At what age does schizophrenia typically onset in males compared to females?
Earlier in males (early to mid-20s) than in females (late 20s)
Males also tend to have a poorer prognosis.
What is the prognosis for individuals with schizophrenia?
Variable and hard to predict; only a minority recover, most experience chronic, episodic impairment and some show progressive deterioration
Most experience chronic episodic impairment, with some showing progressive deterioration.
What happens to positive and negative symptoms over time in schizophrenia?
Positive symptoms reduce over time, but negative symptoms often remain
This highlights the chronic nature of negative symptoms.
How can cultural differences impact the diagnosis of schizophrenia?
They can make identifying disorganized thinking difficult
For example, linguistic differences may obscure symptoms in individuals from different cultural backgrounds.
Fill in the blank: Hallucinations can also be caused by _______.
drug withdrawal, stress, sleep deprivation
This complicates the diagnostic process.
