classifying schizophrenia

• 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