Schizophrenia
What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a group of psychotic disorders that are characterised by major disturbances
in thought, emotion, and behaviour.
Schizophrenia is probably the most misused psychological term in existence.
The term schizophrenia comes from the Greek words – Schizein (‘to split) and Phren
(‘mind”).
But the term does not imply a split or multiple personality, although it is often commonly
misinterpreted this way.
So where does the split occur?
The ‘split’ in schizophrenia occurs between the person’s thought processes and reality.
The person loses touch with reality and has a distorted view of the world.
How?
The schizophrenic believes their hallucinations and delusions to be real; by contrast, other
people see them as not real and symptoms of a person who is ill.
,Analytical Comments
1. What percentage of the population does schizophrenia affect?
Schizophrenia affects 1% of the population, at some point in their lifetime, although
many continue to lead normal lives after diagnosis and treatment.
2. When does it emerge?
Schizophrenia is most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 35.
It can suddenly strike, for example, a young person at university or just starting a
career with a bright future.
3. Is it more common in men and women?
Some research suggests that it is more common in men than women, but this may
vary depending on the criteria used to diagnose the disorder.
The onset of schizophrenia for men is usually in the late teens or early twenties and
for women onset is usually in the late twenties or early thirties.
4. What are the implications of suffering from the disorder?
People with schizophrenia suffer the greatest social stigma of any disorder, probably
because the behaviour and mental processes of the schizophrenic most closely
match our stereotype of “madness”
It conjures up fear and prejudice.
What does this result in?
Sufferers often fear admitting their condition because of such prejudices.
, Symptoms of schizophrenia
There is no single symptom that provides a definitive diagnosis.
Schizophrenia involves many specific symptoms that vary greatly from one individual
to another.
What are these symptoms?
Symptoms commonly encountered in acute schizophrenia are mainly disturbances of
thought processes but can also extend to disturbances of emotion and behaviour.
How are these symptoms categorised?
The symptoms are divided into two main categories – positive and negative
symptoms.
What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a group of psychotic disorders that are characterised by major disturbances
in thought, emotion, and behaviour.
Schizophrenia is probably the most misused psychological term in existence.
The term schizophrenia comes from the Greek words – Schizein (‘to split) and Phren
(‘mind”).
But the term does not imply a split or multiple personality, although it is often commonly
misinterpreted this way.
So where does the split occur?
The ‘split’ in schizophrenia occurs between the person’s thought processes and reality.
The person loses touch with reality and has a distorted view of the world.
How?
The schizophrenic believes their hallucinations and delusions to be real; by contrast, other
people see them as not real and symptoms of a person who is ill.
,Analytical Comments
1. What percentage of the population does schizophrenia affect?
Schizophrenia affects 1% of the population, at some point in their lifetime, although
many continue to lead normal lives after diagnosis and treatment.
2. When does it emerge?
Schizophrenia is most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 35.
It can suddenly strike, for example, a young person at university or just starting a
career with a bright future.
3. Is it more common in men and women?
Some research suggests that it is more common in men than women, but this may
vary depending on the criteria used to diagnose the disorder.
The onset of schizophrenia for men is usually in the late teens or early twenties and
for women onset is usually in the late twenties or early thirties.
4. What are the implications of suffering from the disorder?
People with schizophrenia suffer the greatest social stigma of any disorder, probably
because the behaviour and mental processes of the schizophrenic most closely
match our stereotype of “madness”
It conjures up fear and prejudice.
What does this result in?
Sufferers often fear admitting their condition because of such prejudices.
, Symptoms of schizophrenia
There is no single symptom that provides a definitive diagnosis.
Schizophrenia involves many specific symptoms that vary greatly from one individual
to another.
What are these symptoms?
Symptoms commonly encountered in acute schizophrenia are mainly disturbances of
thought processes but can also extend to disturbances of emotion and behaviour.
How are these symptoms categorised?
The symptoms are divided into two main categories – positive and negative
symptoms.
