Classification of Schizophrenia

• Schizophrenia

  A type of psychosis characterised by a profound disruption of cognition and emotion
• Positive symptoms

  appear to reflect an excess of normal functioning
• Positive symptoms of schizophrenia


  • Hallucinations
  • Delusions
  • Disorganised speech
  • Grossly disorganised / catatonic behaviour
• Hallucinations

  distortions or exaggerations of perception in any of the senses, most notably auditory hallucinations
• Delusions

  Firmly held false beliefs that are caused by distortions of reasonings or misinterpreted experiences
• Disorganised speech

  as a result of abnormal thought processes, they have problems organising their thoughts and this shows in their speech
• Negative symptoms of schizophrenia

  • Alogia (speech poverty)
  • Avolition
  • Affective flattening
  • Anhedonia
• Alogia

  lessening of speech fluency and productivity, which reflects slowing or blocked thoughts
• Negative symptoms

  appear to reflect a loss of normal functioning
• Avolition

  reduction or inability to initiate and persist in goal- directed behaviour
• Affective flattening

  reduction in the range and intensity of emotional expression
• Anhedonia

  loss of interest in most activities
• Diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia

  • Two of either delusions, hallucinations, disorganised speech, disorganised behaviour or negative symptoms for at least a month
  • Level of functioning in one or more major area is markedly below the level prior to the onset
  • Significant disturbance must last at least 6 months
  • Other disorders must have been ruled out
  • Symptoms cant be due to substances