Symptoms of Schizophrenia Flashcards
What is schizophrenia?
-a mental disorder reportedly sufered by 1% of the word population
-condition can affect the sufferer’s thought processes, physical functions and perception of reality (detached from reality)
What do the characteristics of schizophrenia include?
Positive and negative symptoms
What are positive symptoms and what do they include?
-symptoms in addition to normal functioning
-include hallucinations and delusions
What are hallucinations?
-unusual perceptions of environment stimuli unique to the individual, which no one else can perceive
-usually auditory (e.g. hearing voices), but may also be visual (e.g. seeing lights or objects), olfactory (e.g. perceiving a disgusting smell) or tactile (e.g. feeling something or someone is touching the skin).
What are delusions?
- Irrational beliefs that seem real, but have no basis in reality.
-Paranoid delusions- commonly involve an individual believing they are being persecuted by others (e.g. they are being followed or spied upon).
-Delusions of grandeur- involve exaggerated beliefs about one’s own abilities or importance (e.g. being famous or having superpowers).
What are negative symptoms of reality and what do they include?
-involve a reduction in normal functioning
-include avolition and speech poverty
What is speech poverty?
-significant reduction in the amount or quality of what is spoken.
-may involve reduced verbal fluency (e.g. difficulty with saying a list of words for a given responses during a conversation.
topic), reduced language complexity (e.g. short utterances), or a notable delay in verbal responses during a conversation
What is avolition (apathy)?
-difficulty to begin and maintain goal-directed behaviour
-involves significantly reduced self-motivation to take part in activities despite having the opportunity to do so (e.g. Choosing to sit on one’s bed for many hours rather than going to work which is a short walk away).
