Classification of schizophrenia. Positive symptoms of schizophrenia

including hallucinations and delusions. Negative symptoms of schizophrenia, including speech poverty and avolition.

What do we use to classify of schizophrenia? Based off? What would’ve been a more objective test but cant be used?

• No biological tests (e.g. blood tests)

• Use: interviews/assessment tools + classification systems to evaluate a person for mental illness.

• Based on person's self-report of symptoms, professionals observations, social + functional problems as well as info provided by family, friends, carers + colleagues of person if available.

• 2 major systems for classification system

• 2 major systems for classification systems, which differ slightly:

  → World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Disease edition 10 (ICD-10)

  → American’ Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual edition 5 (DSM-5, also written as DSM-V).

When would a person be diagnosed with schizophrenia?

• According to DSM Schizophrenia must involve 2 or more key symptoms for at least a month in which a patient breaks from reality:

• This must include positive symptoms

• It can also include negative symptoms which are missing or lessened behaviours from the norm

• According to the DSM a patient must have also been suffering from functional impairment in areas such as work and relationships and signs of the disturbance must have been present for a minimum of 6 months.

Positive Symptoms

• Symptoms that aren’t usually present in a normal person. An excess / distortion of normal functioning.

• These symptoms may leave them fearful + withdrawn. Their speech + behaviour can be so disorganised that they may be incomprehensible / frightening of others.

Examples of positive symptoms

• delusions

• hallucinations

Delusions

False beliefs that are firmly held despite being completely illogical, / for which there is no evidence.

What are common types of delusions?

• persecution (others want to harm, threaten / manipulate them)

• grandeur (that they are an important individual, even god-like)

Hallucinations

• Disturbances in perception/the senses (rather than disturbances in thought).

• They’re false perceptions that have no basis in reality.

Most common hallucinations?

• auditory ones (hearing voices) but can include smell, touch and sight

Negative Symptoms

• A decline in/loss of normal functioning.

• Sufferers may not be able to work at a job, function at home, raise children or maintain active social life.

Examples of negative symptoms

• Speech poverty

• Avolition

Speech poverty

Inability to speak properly, characterised by lack of ability to produce fluent words; thought to reflect slowing / blocked thoughts. It can manifest itself as short + empty replies to questions.

Avolition

• Reduction, difficulty, / inability to start + continue w/ goal-directed behaviour.

Examples of avolition

• no longer being interested in going out + meeting with friends

• no longer being interested in activities that person used to show enthusiasm for