Schizophrenia & Related Disorders

Flashcards on schizophrenia and related disorders covering definitions, symptoms, statistics, and theories.

Psychosis

A loss of contact with reality that may include hallucinations and delusions.

Delusions

False beliefs that are strongly held despite contradictory evidence.

Hallucinations

False perceptions that can involve any of the five senses.

Disorganized speech

A symptom of schizophrenia characterized by incoherent or illogical speech patterns.

Negative symptoms

Symptoms that reflect a decrease in normal functions, such as apathy or lack of emotion.

Impaired functioning

A reduction in the ability to work, socialize, or care for oneself due to symptoms.

Lifetime prevalence

The proportion of individuals who have experienced a condition at any point in their lives, which for schizophrenia is approximately 1%.

Downward drift theory

The hypothesis that individuals with schizophrenia may fall into lower socio-economic status due to their impairments.

Positive symptoms

Symptoms of schizophrenia that reflect an excess or distortion of normal functions, such as delusions and hallucinations.

Negative symptoms

Symptoms of schizophrenia reflecting a reduction or loss of normal functions, such as lack of emotional expression.

Psychomotor symptoms

Physical symptoms seen in schizophrenia that include awkward movements and catatonia.

Type I Schizophrenia

A type characterized by positive symptoms, occurring in 80-85% of cases.

Type II Schizophrenia

A type characterized by negative symptoms, occurring in 15-20% of cases.

Diathesis-stress explanation

A model explaining that the interaction of genetic predisposition and environmental stressors leads to schizophrenia.

Schizophrenogenic mothers

A term used in psychodynamic theories suggesting a type of mother that could cause schizophrenia in her children.

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

A group of disorders including schizophrenia, brief psychotic disorder, and schizoaffective disorder.