classifying schizophrenia

Cards (21)

  • define classification?
    process by which mental disorders are separated into types/sub types according to symptoms that cluster together
  • define diagnosis?
    process by which clinicians assess an individual patient & decide which type of illness they are suffering from according to symptoms
  • what is schizophrenia?
    • serious mental disorder characterised by severe disruptions in psychological functioning & loss of contact with reality (psychosis)
    • occurs in late adolscence & early adulthood
    • men diagnosed aged 15-24
    • women diagnosed aged 25-34 (mask symptoms)
    • more prevalent in cities & working class
  • to be diagnosed with schizophrenia?
    1. 2 or more symptoms
    2. more than one month
    3. reduced social functioning
  • ICD 11?
    • made by world health organisation
    • used internationally for classification & diagnosis for both physical & psychological illnesses
  • DSM 5?
    • made by american psychiatric association
    • used by usa
    • new editions made every couple years with changes of classification of mental illnesses
    • never up to date due to peer review & new publishing research
  • co morbidity?
    where 2 conditions co exist in same individual at same time
  • what are positive symptoms?
    adding something to your behaviour that does not usually exist
  • examples of positive symptoms?
    1. hallucinations
    2. delusions
  • what are hallucinations?
    unusual experiences linked to one/more senses
  • auditory hallucinations?
    • person hears things that can either be person talking to them/about them
    • real sensations to person experiencing them even though people around them cannot experience sensations
    • some people describe voices as friendly & pleasant
    • other voices as rude, critical, abusive & annoying
    • voices may describe activities taking place, discuss hearers thoughts/behaviour & give instructions/talk directly to person
  • visual hallucinations?
    • person sees things that arent actually there
  • olfactory hallucinations?
    smell
  • tactile hallucinations?
    touch
  • what are delusions?
    • irrational beliefs that person has about something & can take range of different forms
    • will seem very real to person even though in reality it couldnt be
  • delusions of persecution?
    • person believes that something/someone is out to hurt them (paranoia)
  • delusions of grandeur?
    • person believes they are powerful/important
  • what are negative symptoms?
    involves loss of usual abilites & experiences
  • examples of negative symptoms?
    1. avolition
    2. speech poverty
  • avolition?
    • person fails to engange in a goal directed activity
    • have no motivation to do anything - maladaptive behaviour
  • speech poverty/alogia?
    • person has reduction in amount/quality of speech