Classification of SZ

• SZ is a serious mental disorder suffered by about 1% of the population. More commonly diagnosed in men than women and in cities than rural areas. Is a psychotic disorder so people with it struggle to understand what is real and what isn't. Symptoms can interfere with everyday tasks so many sufferers end up homeless or hospitalised
• Positive symptoms - Hallucinations (Unusual sensory experiences and individuals either have no basis in reality so hear voices or see people or are distorted perceptions of things they see), Delusions (Irrational beliefs that can take many forms, eg delusions of grandeur. Can also lead to paranoid thinking such as being spied on by the government)
• Negative symptoms - Avolition (Loss of motivation to begin or complete tasks and results in lowered activity levels. Examples include poor hygiene), Speech Poverty (Reduced frequency and quality of speech and a delay in verbal responses. May be speech disorganisation), Affective Flattening (Lack of emotion), Inappropriate affect (Inappropriate emotional response)