Introduction to Schizophrenia

• What is schizophrenia?


  It is a severe mental disorder which means 'split mind' where symptoms such as hallucinations and being out of touch with reality occurs. It is an example of psychosis. Affects 1% of the population and more men than women.
• ICD-10 is the International Classification of Diseases (european - by the world health organisation.
• DSM-5 is the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association
• Positive symptoms are experienced in addition to normal functioning.
• Negative symptoms are experienced as a loss from the normal functioning of the brain
• Examples of positive symptoms in schizophrenia?

  Sensory experiences such as hallucinations
• examples of negative symptoms in schizophrenia?

  speech poverty.
• Delusions are irrational beliefs eg. believing to be an important figure of history.
• Delusions can lead to violence where individuals act in a way that makes sense to themself but nobody else.
• Avolition is the absence of motivation to perform a task, which is a result of a lack of interest or lack of ability
• Avolition suggested by Andreason (1982) as 3 levels eg. lack of hygiene and grooming, lack of motivation, lack of work and education.
• Co-morbidity - The presence of two or more mental disorders at the same time in the same individual.
• Co-morbidity is frequently diagnosed together with a mental disorder. eg. schizophrenia and depression may be diagnosed together, questioning the validity.
• Classification may also be impacted as the cause of schizophrenia is not understood, therefore, may not exist as a distinct condition