Symptoms of schizophrenia

Question 1

What are positive / type 1 symptoms?

Answer 1

symptoms that add tot the experience of the patient

Question 2

Examples of positive symptoms

Answer 2

delusions
hallucinations
disorganised thinking and/or speech
abnormal motor behaviour

Question 3

What are hallucinations?

Answer 3

hearing/seeing things that aren’t there

voices may be mean and provide a critical commentary on the person

controlling voices

Question 4

What are delusions?

Answer 4

false beliefs

paranoid delusions - e.g. movements being controlled

delusions of grandeur - e.g. thinking they’re someone important (e.g. God)

Question 5

What is disordered thinking?

Answer 5

thought insertion: thinking their thoughts have been put there by someone else

thought broadcasting: thinking everyone can hear their thoughts –> speech hard to follow

Question 6

What are negative / type 2 symptoms?

Answer 6

symptoms that subtract from normal behaviour

Question 7

What is the prodromal period?

Answer 7

negative (type 2) symptoms often start first, sometimes years before diagnosis

Question 8

Examples of negative symptoms

Answer 8

decreased emotional expression
avolition
flatness of emotions
lack of energy/motivation
social withdrawal

Question 9

What is avolition?

Answer 9

a behavioural state characterised by lack of motivation to complete usual self-motivated actions such as going to work