PSY 343 - Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Psychosis

Presence of Sx indicative of an inability to discern reality from non-reality

Sx of Psychosis

Hallucinations, Delusions, Disorganized thinking or speech, Disorganized or catatonic behavior

Hallucinations

Perception-like experiences that occur without an external stimulus
When someone senses things that other people don’t sense

_____ Hallucinations are most common

Auditory

Types of hallucinations

Visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory (taste)

In what instances can hallucinations be considered normal?

Sleep-related hallucinations, using substances, religious experiences, near-death experiences, dehydration, medical illnesses, cultural experiences

Delusions

false, fixed beliefs that are not open to change in light of conflicting evidence

Disorganized thinking/speech

Thinking, speaking, or writing that is difficult to understand

loose associations, tangential speech, incoherence

Disorganized behavior

Agitation (restlessness/pacing), catatonic behavior

Catatonic behavior

(decreased reactivity to environment)

Lack of verbal response, rigid/bizarre body posture, stereotyped movements

Psychotic Disorder Diagnosis (DSM) from a dimensional approach

start with least amount of Sx and grow to highest amount of Sx

first: Brief psychotic - delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, or grossly disordered or catatonic behavior present for at least 1 day but less than 1 month

Second: Delusional - presence of at least one delusion for at least a month

Third: Schizoaffective - person has both psychotic symptoms necessary to meet criteria for schizophrenia and either major depression/manic episode

Schizoaffective

Schizo: split (from reality)

Affective: mood

Both psychotic and mood symptoms

negative symptoms

absence/decrease in behavior

Blunted affect, alogia (diminished speech), asociality, anhedonia, avolition (decrease in motivation/self-initiated activities- can’t get yourself to do things)

Schizophreniform Disorder

same symptoms of schiphrenia present for at least 1 month but less than 6

Schizophrenia

2+ of hallucination, delusions, disorganized speech, disorganized behaviors for at least 1 month

impairment in 1+ areas of functioning (social, occupational, educational, self-care) for sig. period of time

Continuous signs for at list 6 months