, DEFINITION:
o Type of psychosis, a severe mental health disorder characterised by profound disruption of
cognition and emotion.
o Affects language, thoughts, perception, emotions and their sense of self.
o The schizophrenic believes things that can’t be true (delusions) or hears voices and sees visions
when there’s no stimuli to create them (hallucinations)
o 1% of the population are diagnosed between 15-35 yrs, with men and women affected equally.
CLASSIFICATION OF SZ:
CONCEPTS:
Classification:
o Sz doesn’t have a single defining characteristic but a collection of unrelated symptoms.
o 2 major systems for the classification of mental disorder which differ in what is needed for a
diagnosis:
The international classification of disease (ICD-11): two or more symptoms inc at least 1 positive
symptom. Major systems must be present for a month or longer.
Diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM 5 – USA): only 1 positive symptom lasting for at least a
month.
Positive symptoms:
An additional experience beyond what’s ordinary.
o Delusions:
Bizarre beliefs that seem real to someone with Sz but aren’t:
Paranoid delusions: (persecutory) beliefs a person’s being followed/spied on, or phones tapped or
there’s video cameras hid in their home.
Delusions of grandeur: inflated beliefs about persons power and importance e.g., believes they’re
famous and or have special powers.
Delusions of reference: events in the environment that appear to be directly related to them e.g.,
personal messages being communicated thru the Tv/radio.
o Hallucinations:
Bizarre, unrealistic perceptions of the environment that’re:
Auditory: hearing voices
Visual: seeing lights, objects or faces others can’t see
Tactile: feeling bugs are crawling under their skin or someone touching them
Most Sz report hearing voices telling them to do something or commenting on their behaviour.
o Catatonic behaviour:
Characterised by a reduced reaction to the immediate environment, rigid postures, or aimless
motor activities.
o Disorganised speech:
Result of abnormal though processes where person has problems organising own thoughts, so
they show up in speech:
Jumping from 1 topic to another mid-sentence or incoherent speech sounding like gibberish
Negative symptoms:
A loss of usual abilities/experiences
o Speech poverty (alogia):
Reduction in the amount and quality of speech accompanied W a delay in the sufferer’s response
in convos:
e.g., told to name as many colours in 1 min but produce fewer word than the avg person.
difficulty producing words, fewer clauses or shorter utterances.
o Avolition:
Severe loss of motivation to carry out everyday tasks and difficulty in beginning/keeping up W goal
directed activities e.g., getting ready/brushing teeth.
Andreason identified 3 signs of avolition: poor hygiene/grooming, lack of persistence in
work/education and lack of energy.
o Affective flattening:
Reduction in range of expressions, tone, eye contact and body language. Compared to controls
w/o this symptom they showed less smiles and movements of head, hands or face that usually
accompany speech
o Anhedonia:
Loss of interest in pleasure in almost all activities or lack of reactivity to pleasurable stimuli
Physical anhedonia: inability to experience physical pleasures from food, bodily contact.
o Type of psychosis, a severe mental health disorder characterised by profound disruption of
cognition and emotion.
o Affects language, thoughts, perception, emotions and their sense of self.
o The schizophrenic believes things that can’t be true (delusions) or hears voices and sees visions
when there’s no stimuli to create them (hallucinations)
o 1% of the population are diagnosed between 15-35 yrs, with men and women affected equally.
CLASSIFICATION OF SZ:
CONCEPTS:
Classification:
o Sz doesn’t have a single defining characteristic but a collection of unrelated symptoms.
o 2 major systems for the classification of mental disorder which differ in what is needed for a
diagnosis:
The international classification of disease (ICD-11): two or more symptoms inc at least 1 positive
symptom. Major systems must be present for a month or longer.
Diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM 5 – USA): only 1 positive symptom lasting for at least a
month.
Positive symptoms:
An additional experience beyond what’s ordinary.
o Delusions:
Bizarre beliefs that seem real to someone with Sz but aren’t:
Paranoid delusions: (persecutory) beliefs a person’s being followed/spied on, or phones tapped or
there’s video cameras hid in their home.
Delusions of grandeur: inflated beliefs about persons power and importance e.g., believes they’re
famous and or have special powers.
Delusions of reference: events in the environment that appear to be directly related to them e.g.,
personal messages being communicated thru the Tv/radio.
o Hallucinations:
Bizarre, unrealistic perceptions of the environment that’re:
Auditory: hearing voices
Visual: seeing lights, objects or faces others can’t see
Tactile: feeling bugs are crawling under their skin or someone touching them
Most Sz report hearing voices telling them to do something or commenting on their behaviour.
o Catatonic behaviour:
Characterised by a reduced reaction to the immediate environment, rigid postures, or aimless
motor activities.
o Disorganised speech:
Result of abnormal though processes where person has problems organising own thoughts, so
they show up in speech:
Jumping from 1 topic to another mid-sentence or incoherent speech sounding like gibberish
Negative symptoms:
A loss of usual abilities/experiences
o Speech poverty (alogia):
Reduction in the amount and quality of speech accompanied W a delay in the sufferer’s response
in convos:
e.g., told to name as many colours in 1 min but produce fewer word than the avg person.
difficulty producing words, fewer clauses or shorter utterances.
o Avolition:
Severe loss of motivation to carry out everyday tasks and difficulty in beginning/keeping up W goal
directed activities e.g., getting ready/brushing teeth.
Andreason identified 3 signs of avolition: poor hygiene/grooming, lack of persistence in
work/education and lack of energy.
o Affective flattening:
Reduction in range of expressions, tone, eye contact and body language. Compared to controls
w/o this symptom they showed less smiles and movements of head, hands or face that usually
accompany speech
o Anhedonia:
Loss of interest in pleasure in almost all activities or lack of reactivity to pleasurable stimuli
Physical anhedonia: inability to experience physical pleasures from food, bodily contact.
