classification and diagnosis

• 2 diagonstic tools used for diagnosing sz

  • DSM - one positive symptom must be present for diagnosing sz
  • ICD - two or more negative symptoms are required

  two subtypes - paranoid and catatonic
• type one symptoms - positive symptoms

  1. hallucinations

  • unusual sensory experiences
  • hearing voices
  • distorte facial expressions or people that are not there

  2. delusions

  • paranoia / irrational beliefs
  • being an important historical / religious person
  • having superpowers
• avolition = loss of motivation to do things
• type 2 symptoms - negative

  1. avolition - failure to function eg poor hygiene, lack of persistence in work and lack of energy
  2. speech poverty - delay in verbal response and incoherent speech and speech disorganisation
• a03 - comorbidity

  • buckley et al - found that patients diagnosed with sz also suffered from depression (50%) and subtance abuse (47%)
  • also 29% of sz had ptsd

  difficult to do one singular diagnosis due to confusion between sz and depression symptoms
• a03 - culture bias

  • african american and english afro- caribbean are more likely to be diagnosed with sz than white ppl
  • Escobar - white psychiatrists may over-interprety symptoms
  • culure bias - hearing voice is more acceptable in african culture due to communication with ancestors
• a03 - gender bias

  • longenecker et al - men have been diagnosed with sz more than women bc they are more genetically vunerable
  • cotton et al - women are better at masking sz due to high functioning work and rs