symptoms

• Positive (an additional experience)

  • Hallucinations - unusual sensory experiences that have no bias in reality. Auditory hallucinations (hearing voices) or visual hallucinations (seeing objects)
  • Irrational/false beliefs - no bias in reality, can make people with scz behave in ways that are normal for them but bizarre to others
  • Delusions of persecution - a false belief of being harassed e.g. by government
  • Delusions of control - false belief that you are being controlled by something external e.g. aliens
• Negative (loss of usual abilities)

  • Avolition - serve loss of motivation to carry out everyday tasks, difficulty to keep up with goal directed activity. Andreason identified 3 signs: poor hygiene, lack of persistence in work or education, lack of energy
  • Speech poverty - reduction in the amount and quality of speech, this can be accompanied by a delay of verbal responses or a lack of fluency