Schizophrenia: Symptoms and Features
4 key symptoms include: Thought insertion:
Delusions When a person believes their thoughts do not
Hallucinations belong to them and have been implanted by an
Disorganised speech external source.
Disorganised catatonic A ‘blurring’ of boundary between theirs and
behaviour others feelings - the border becomes permeable.
At least 2 of these symptoms must Belief that thoughts, feelings and experiences
be present and have been can pass from one person to another.
experienced once a month or
actively experienced everyday.
Hallucinations:
Involuntary, vivid and clear perceptual
Features: experiences that occur in the absence of an
Lifetime prevalence which is 0.3-0.7%. external stimuli.
Varies with ethnicity, nationality and They can be visual, olfactory (smell), and
geographic origin in immigrants. somatosensory (bodily feelings).
Onset is earlier in males (mid 20s) and Auditory hallucinations are most common.
late 20s in females. Often experienced as hearing voices which are
Prognosis is variable and hard to clearly distinct from one’s inner thoughts/voice.
predict.
Minority completely recover, but most
Delusions:
experience chronic, episodic impairment
Fixed beliefs that are not amenable to change
and some show progressive deterioration
in the light of conflicting evidence.
which cognitive deficits.
May relate to everyday life or may be bizarre.
Persecutory - belief someone is trying to harm
Case study: you.
Melissa starts uni after being out of Referential - believing that social and
school for a few years. environment cues have special personal
First year is fine but then in the second meanings.
she starts to become stranger - she told Grandiose - believing you are superior in some
her friends she can hear someone talk way.
to her inside her head.
One week disappears for a couple days
and comes back all dirty. disorganised thinking:
Parents called and Melissa wants to Inferred from a person’s speech:
quit uni - thinks her friends are spying Derailment - unrelated ideas
on her. Tangentially - going off on different
Went to see a doctor and told her topics
grandmother had mental illness and Word salad - incoherent stringing words
even been to a mental hospital. together
4 key symptoms include: Thought insertion:
Delusions When a person believes their thoughts do not
Hallucinations belong to them and have been implanted by an
Disorganised speech external source.
Disorganised catatonic A ‘blurring’ of boundary between theirs and
behaviour others feelings - the border becomes permeable.
At least 2 of these symptoms must Belief that thoughts, feelings and experiences
be present and have been can pass from one person to another.
experienced once a month or
actively experienced everyday.
Hallucinations:
Involuntary, vivid and clear perceptual
Features: experiences that occur in the absence of an
Lifetime prevalence which is 0.3-0.7%. external stimuli.
Varies with ethnicity, nationality and They can be visual, olfactory (smell), and
geographic origin in immigrants. somatosensory (bodily feelings).
Onset is earlier in males (mid 20s) and Auditory hallucinations are most common.
late 20s in females. Often experienced as hearing voices which are
Prognosis is variable and hard to clearly distinct from one’s inner thoughts/voice.
predict.
Minority completely recover, but most
Delusions:
experience chronic, episodic impairment
Fixed beliefs that are not amenable to change
and some show progressive deterioration
in the light of conflicting evidence.
which cognitive deficits.
May relate to everyday life or may be bizarre.
Persecutory - belief someone is trying to harm
Case study: you.
Melissa starts uni after being out of Referential - believing that social and
school for a few years. environment cues have special personal
First year is fine but then in the second meanings.
she starts to become stranger - she told Grandiose - believing you are superior in some
her friends she can hear someone talk way.
to her inside her head.
One week disappears for a couple days
and comes back all dirty. disorganised thinking:
Parents called and Melissa wants to Inferred from a person’s speech:
quit uni - thinks her friends are spying Derailment - unrelated ideas
on her. Tangentially - going off on different
Went to see a doctor and told her topics
grandmother had mental illness and Word salad - incoherent stringing words
even been to a mental hospital. together
