classification of schizophrenia

what is avolition?

the reduction, difficulty or inability to initiate and persist in goal-directed behaviour, often mistaken for apparent disinterest

what are delusions?

firmly held erroneous beliefs that are caused by distortions of reasoning or misinterpretations of perceptions or experiences

what are hallucinations?

distortions or exaggerations of perception in any of the senses, most notably auditory hallucinations

what are negative symptoms?

appear to reflect a diminution or loss of normal functioning

what are positive symptoms?

appear to reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning

what is schizophrenia?

a type of psychosis characterised by a profound disruption of cognition and emotion

what is speech poverty?

the lessening of speech fluency and productivity, which reflects slowing or blocked thoughts

where does schizophrenia rank among the disabilities worldwide?

among the top 10

how much of the population is affected by schizophrenia at one point in their life?

1%

when is the mode diagnosis age?

25-35

what is the diagnostic manual in the USA?

DSM-V

what is the diagnostic manual in Europe?

ICD-11

what are the positive symptoms of schizophrenia?

• hallucinations

• delusions

• disorganised speech

• grossly disorganised or catatonic behaviour

what are the types of delusions?

• paranoid

• of grandeur

  • of reference

what are delusions of grandeur?

inflated beliefs about the person’s importance

what are delusions of reference?

when events in the environment appear to be directly related to them

what is catatonic behaviour?

reduced reaction to immediate environment, rigid postures or aimless motor activity

what proportion of schizophrenia patients suffer from significant negative symptoms?

1/3

what is the deficit syndrome?

enduring at least 2 negative symptoms for 12 months or longer

what are the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

• speech poverty/alogia

• avolition

• affective flattening

• anhedonia

what is affective flattening?

reduction in the range & intensity of emotional expression

what is anhedonia?

loss of interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities

what is physical anhedonia?

the inability to experience physical pleasures

what is social anhedonia?

inability to experience pleasure from interpersonal situations

what type of anhedonia is considered a more reliable symptom of schizophrenia and why?

physical because social anhedonia can be associated with other illnesses

what are the strengths of the classification of schizophrenia?

• treatment

what are the weaknesses of the classification of schizophrenia?

• lead to negative stigma

• can be misdiagnosed

• do benefits outweigh costs?