Schizophrenia

Atypical antipsychotics

Newer antipsychotics with fewer side effects that can affect more than one neurotransmitter.

Avolition

A chronic lack of motivation to complete tasks.

Delusions

Where a person holds an incorrect belief that is fixed and unchangeable in spite of offering evidence.

Diathesis-stress model

The theory that schizophrenia develops by genetic markers that increase vulnerability to schizophrenia, and external stressors that trigger it to develop.

Dopamine hypothesis

The theory that excess and lack of dopamine in different areas of the brain could be responsible for some schizophrenic symptoms.

Dysfunctional thought processing

The theory that schizophrenia could be attributed to faulty cognitive processes.

Family dysfunction

Some unhealthy family dynamics that may be a cause of schizophrenia, such as lack of communication, contradictory responses.

Hallucinations

Additional sensory experiences

Negative symptoms

Symptoms that occur with loss of regular functioning, I.e. a volition

Positive symptoms

Symptoms that occur with excessive to regular functioning, I.e. hallucinations.

Schizophrenia

A mental disorder characterised by a confusion between reality and what is in their mind.

Speech poverty

The inability to produce fluent and coherent speech.

Token economy

A form of behaviour management that aims to increase desirable behaviour and reduce undesirable behaviour by use of tokens. If desirable behaviour is displayed, immediate rewards in the forms of tokens are given. They can be exchanged for a reward of choice.

Typical antipsychotics

Older antipsychotics that were developed to reduce dopamine levels in the brain.