Psychotic Disorders

What is a psychotic disorder?

A disorder where there is a lack of contact with reality (psychosis)

What is the psychotic disorder that we study?

Schizophrenia

What is schizophrenia?

• A serious mental illness that severely disrupts psychological functioning

• Consists of delusions, hallucinations, disorganised speech and behaviour leading to social or occupational dysfunction

What are the requirements from the DSM 5 to be diagnosed with schizophrenia?

• Symptoms must be present for 6 months with a least one month of active symptoms

• A person must exhibit two of five symptoms

  • The patient must exhibit symptoms of delusions, hallucinations or disorganised speech

A person with schizophrenia must exhibit 1 out out of three of these symptoms alongside another symptom::

• Hallucinations

• Delusions (false beliefs of grandeur of persecutory delusions)

• Disorganised speech

What are positive symptoms?

Symptoms that add to a person’s behaviour

What are negative symptoms?

Symptoms were a behaviour is lost or reduced (like a lack of motivation)

What are strengths of classifying psychotic disorders?

• Validity- checklist allows for accurate diagnosis

• Reliability- all US doctors use the same diagnostic criteria

• Effective treatment- valid and reliable diagnosis should mean that a patient receives the proper treatment/medication

What are some weakness of classifying psychotic disorders?

• Differential diagnosis- overlap of symptoms with mania which can induce delusions and hallucinations

  • Misdiagnosis

• Comorbidity

• Cultural validity- the patient’s culture may accept hallucinations as beig normal which may affect tjeir diagnosis or likelihood to admit symptoms