What is a symptom?
subjective feelings, what's happening to the patient
What is a feature?
facts
What is schizophrenia?
a psychotic disorder characterised by positive symptoms with negative symptoms often present too
What are the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
flat emotions, lack of self-care, energy, social withdrawal
Give an example of flat emotions.
blank facial expressions
Give an example of lack of self-care.
doesn't brush teeth
Give an example of lack of energy.
no motivation to do daily chores
Give an example of social withdrawal.
doesn't want to go and see friends
What are the positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
hallucinations, delusions, disordered thinking, thought insertion
Give an example of hallucinations.
hearing voices, seeing things
What are delusions?
believing things that aren't true
Give an example of delusions.
thinking someone is after them, thinking they have powers (grandiose delusions)
Characterise disordered thinking.
disrupted flow of speech and jumping from one topic to another
What is thought insertion?
believe thoughts are someone else's or someone else can hear own thoughts
What is the lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia?
0.3-0.7% (this changes depending on ethnicity, nationality and geographic origin)
What is lifetime prevalence?
how likely you are within a lifetime to acquire that disease
What is the onset for sz?
early to mid 20s in males, late 20s in females
What is the prognosis?
hard to predict, a minority recover completely, but most experience chronic episodic impairment and some show progressive deterioration with increasing brief periods of remission and severe cognitive deficits
Which symptoms may reduce over time?
positive symptoms but debilitating negative symptoms often remain