schizophrenia

• Schizophrenia is a disorder affecting 1 % of the population
• Schizophrenia doesn't have a single defining characteristic, it is a cluster of symptoms that can seem unrelated.
• Schizophrenia symptoms usually appear in early adulthood.
• Schizophrenia affects men and women equally, but symptoms usually appear earlier in men ( teens ) and later in women ( 20 s or 30 s )
• Positive symptoms of SZ:

  Hallucinations

  Delusions

  Disorganised speech
• Negative symptoms of SZ:

  Avolition

  Speech Poverty

  Emotional Disturbance
• Hallucinations - Experiencing a seemingly real perception of something not actually present
• Delusions - Strongly held false beliefs
• Disorganised speech - vague loosely associated or incoherent speech
• Avolition - Finding it difficult to begin or keep up with goal directed behaviour. Lacking drive or energy
• Speech poverty - lessening of speech quality and fluency where the patient gives short and empty replies
• Emotional disturbance - appearing to show no reaction to good or bad news or react inappropriately for instance laughing at bad news
• Positive symptoms - symptoms in excess, that add to normal mental functioning
• Negative symptoms - Behaviours or emotions that are deficient or lacking in patients