symtoms Flashcards
what is schizophrenia?
it is a serious mental disorder characterised by severe disruptions in psychological functioning and a loss of contact with reality
what is schizophrenia NOT caused by?
•inadequate parenting
•overzealous mothers
•poor family relations
•it is not split personality
what is the chance of someone developing schizophrenia?
1/100
what does acute and chronic onset mean?
acute: the rapid onset of symptoms
chronic: slow onset of symptoms
what is one of the issues surrounding the diagnosis and classification of schizophrenia?
•there is no agreement as to what schizophrenia is
what are the two types of symptoms proposed?
positive and negative symptoms
what are positive symptoms and who proposed them?
•they are atypical symptoms experienced in addition to normal experiences
•they add something to the personality
•Schneider
what are negative symptoms and who proposed them?
•atypical symptoms that represent the loss of a usual experience (like clear thinking or motivation)
•they take away from the personality
•kraepelin
what are the broad positive symptoms?
•thought control
•delusions of control, influence and passivity
•hallucinatory voices
•other persistent delusions
what are the aspects of thought control?
•thought withdrawal
•thought insertion
•thought broadcast
what is thought withdrawal?
thoughts are being extracted from the persons mind
what is thought insertion?
unwelcome thoughts are being inserted into the persons mind
what is thought broadcast?
private thoughts have become accessible to other people
what is delusions of control, influence and passivity?
a delusion is a distorted belief. the individual does not believe that they are in control of their own thoughts, feelings and will (making things happen)
what are hallucinatory voices?
these are voices that do not exist, but feel real to the person hearing them
what are other persistent delusions?
these are distorted beliefs that are culturally inappropriate or involve impossible powers or capabilities (eg believing themselves to be great politicians or religious leaders)
what are the broad negative symptoms?
•persistent hallucinations
•incoherent or irrelevant speech
•catatonic behaviour
•other negative symptoms
what are persistent hallucinations?
all other hallucinations that aren’t voices in your head, they may be accompanied by delusions
they are perceptions without the sensation
what is incoherent or irrelevant speech?
•this arises when a persons train of thought is disrupted and the persons speech becomes jumbled
•they often have a word salad (mixing words up) and speak using neologisms
what is catatonic behaviour?
it refers to unusual body movements and includes odd postures, uncontrolled limb movements and sometimes complete frozen immobility
what are other negative symptoms?
•apathy and general lack of drive and motivation
•avolition, flattening of effects (inappropriate emotional responses given the context)
•social withdrawal
•loss of personal hygiene
