Psychotic disorder characterized by a loss of contact with reality.
Symptoms typically appear in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Affects nearly 1 in 100 people, with slightly more men affected.
Two types:
Acute/Reactive: Develops in reaction to stress, positive symptoms.
Chronic/Process: Develops slowly, negative symptoms, leads to social problems.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Disorganized thinking, disturbed perceptions, inappropriate emotions and behaviors.
Disorganized thinking: Fragmented, bizarre thoughts with false beliefs (delusions) of paranoid or grandiose nature.
Hallucinations: Sensory experiences without external stimulation can be tactile, visual, auditory, gustatory, or olfactory. Auditory hallucinations most common.
Inappropriate emotions and behaviors: Includes laughing at sad moments, flat affect, and repetitive motor behaviors.
Positive and Negative Symptoms
Positive Symptoms: Presence of problematic behaviors.
Hallucinations (illusory perceptions), especially auditory.
Delusions (illusory beliefs), especially persecutory.
Disorganized thought and nonsensical speech.
Bizarre behaviors.
Negative Symptoms: Absence of healthy behaviors.
Flat affect (no emotion showing in the face).
Reduced social interaction.
Anhedonia (no feeling of enjoyment).
Avolition (lack of motivation).
Alogia (speaking less).
Catatonia (moving less).
Biological Factors Theories
Schizophrenia is a brain disease exhibited by mind symptoms.
Too many dopamine/D4 receptors relate to paranoia and hallucinations.
Poor neural coordination in frontal lobes impairs judgment and self-control.
General shrinking of brain areas and connections.
Abnormal activity in frontal cortex, thalamus, and amygdala.
Morphological changes like enlargement of fluid-filled ventricles.
Excess of D4 dopamine receptor can intensify brain signals.
Genetic risk factors: Higher risk among identical twins. Adopted children's risk elevates if biological parents had the diagnosis.
Environmental factors: Viral infections, nutritional deprivation, and maternal stress can activate predisposing genes.
Treatment
Effectiveness depends on symptom type.
Chronic schizophrenia recovery is doubtful; exhibits negative symptoms.
Acute schizophrenia recovery is more likely; usually exhibits positive symptoms.
Drug treatment is most effective for positive symptoms.
Psychological Factors Theories
Social or psychological factors alone do not cause schizophrenia.
Stress can affect onset.
Psychological, Environmental factors can trigger schizophrenia if individual is genetically predisposed.