LEARNING UNIT 9
S CHIZOPHRENIA LO1
Schizophrenia is a
Psychosis Difference between Schizophrenia and Psychosis LO2
serious Psychiatric
disorder characterized Psychosis is a syndrome or group of symptoms. Someone experiencing an episode of psychosis is having a ‘break’ with
by psychotic episodes reality. Major symptoms of psychosis are hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations are sensations that are not real, such as
consisting of hearing voices or sounds that aren’t real. Hearing voices is a common hallucination, but hallucinations can be experiences with
perceptual
any sense—hearing, sight, smell, taste, or touch. Delusions are strong beliefs that can’t possibly be true. Common delusions
disturbances, fixed
include the belief that someone is following or monitoring you, or the belief that you have extraordinary powers or abilities.
false beliefs and
disorganization in Other symptoms of psychosis include difficulties concentrating, completing tasks, or making decisions. Thoughts may feel
thinking, ‘jumbled’ or confused. Some people have a hard time following conversations or speaking clearly. Psychosis can even affect the
communication and way people move or express their emotions.
behaviour. It typically
Schizophrenia
runs a chronic course
with global functional Schizophrenia is a mental illness. And it isn’t the only cause of psychosis. In some cases, other mental illnesses cause
deterioration between psychosis, including depression, bipolar disorder, dementia and borderline personality disorder. Psychosis may come up during
times of extreme stress, a major lack of sleep, or trauma. People who are using or withdrawing from certain drugs or
medications may experience psychosis. Psychosis may also be caused by a brain injury, neurological problem, or other health
problem. So, while psychosis can be a part of schizophrenia, it can be caused by many other things too.
Negative and Positive Symptoms
LO3
Negative Symptoms Positive Symptoms:
These symptoms involve deficits in normal These symptoms are the most obvious signs of
behaviour such as communication and psychosis. Like Delusions and Hallucinations.
blunted affect- or lack of emotional
, Catatonia
Positive Symptoms LO 4 One of the most serious symptoms of schizophrenia. This exists
on a continuum with disorganization.
Catatonia is not confined to schizophrenia and complicate
Hallucinations:
other psychoses, notably mania.
Schizophrenic people often believe that the voices they’re hearing Catatonia involves motor dysfunctions that range from wild
are real. These perceptions occur regularly and overwhelming. These agitation to immobility and cover a vast range of strange,
may be formed or unformed. inappropriate motor behaviours; negativism, grimacing,
Formed hallucinations: discernable sounds like voices or visions cataplexy, echolalia and echopraxia
such a people, specters or animals. Unformed hallucinations: are Echolalia: Repetition or echoing of the speech of other, a
more indicative of physical illness. normal intermediate step in the development of speech skills.
Tactile hallucinations: are when you can feel things on your skin and Originally thought to be unique of developmental delay
are commonly felt by cocaine users. involved in that disorder
Haptic hallucinations: may involve a cutting sensation in the bone Echopraxia: The involuntary imitation of the movement of
marrow. another person.
Disorganization:
These include several erratic behaviours that effect communication, motor Neuroscience and Hallucinations:
behaviour and emotional reactions.
Disorganization refers to a break-up of the natural, logical cohesion, or Brain imaging helps see the hallucinations.
association between ideas and behaviours.
Normally disorganization manifests in communication disturbances where SPECT: Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
incoherence and loos of ideational association are most prominent. is to study the cerebral blood flow of men with
Associative splitting schizophrenia.
Cognitive splitage
Sometimes they jump from topic to topic Metacognition Theory: People who are hallucinating are
The DSM-5 calls it disorganized speech to describe such communication NOT hearing the voices of others but are listening to their
problems. own thoughts or their own voices and are unable to
The speech h isn’t really the problem, the thinking is. recognize the difference
They often perform repetitive and stereotypical movements. Strange
postures also illustrate motor disorganization.
, Negative Symptoms Pg 556
Asociality
Avolition/apathy:
Presumed lack of pleasure experienced by some people
Combining the prefix a, meaning ‘without’ and volition, with schizophrenia. Like some mood disorders,
which means ‘act of willing, choosing or deciding’. anhedonia signals an indifference to activities that would
typically be considered pleasurable, including eating,
Avolition is the inability to initiate and persist in social interactions and sexual relations. Anhedonia is
activities. People with this symptom, also referred to as defining feature of a major depressive episode.
apathy, show little interest in performing even the
most basic day-to-day functions, including those Anhedonia
Alogia: Social isolation. It is not the active avoidance of social
interaction.
Deficiency in the amount or content of speech, a
disturbance often seen in people with schizophrenia. Lack of engagement.
This deficiency in communication is believed to reflect a
negative thought disorder rather than inadequate Attentional deficits
communication skills. People with Alogia may have
trouble finding the right words to formulate their thoughts. Neuropsychological impairments affecting working
memory and executive functioning are found in
Affective Flattening: schizophrenia. A tendency to cognitive inflexibility is also
noted. The disorganization characteristic of schizophrenic
Talking to someone that shows no emotion. They have communication may be a function of impaired working
flat effect. They stare at you vacantly and do not react memory with a loss of abstract association.
openly to emotional situations, they may be responding
on the inside.
It’s the difficulty in expressing emotion, not a lack of
feeling.
S CHIZOPHRENIA LO1
Schizophrenia is a
Psychosis Difference between Schizophrenia and Psychosis LO2
serious Psychiatric
disorder characterized Psychosis is a syndrome or group of symptoms. Someone experiencing an episode of psychosis is having a ‘break’ with
by psychotic episodes reality. Major symptoms of psychosis are hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations are sensations that are not real, such as
consisting of hearing voices or sounds that aren’t real. Hearing voices is a common hallucination, but hallucinations can be experiences with
perceptual
any sense—hearing, sight, smell, taste, or touch. Delusions are strong beliefs that can’t possibly be true. Common delusions
disturbances, fixed
include the belief that someone is following or monitoring you, or the belief that you have extraordinary powers or abilities.
false beliefs and
disorganization in Other symptoms of psychosis include difficulties concentrating, completing tasks, or making decisions. Thoughts may feel
thinking, ‘jumbled’ or confused. Some people have a hard time following conversations or speaking clearly. Psychosis can even affect the
communication and way people move or express their emotions.
behaviour. It typically
Schizophrenia
runs a chronic course
with global functional Schizophrenia is a mental illness. And it isn’t the only cause of psychosis. In some cases, other mental illnesses cause
deterioration between psychosis, including depression, bipolar disorder, dementia and borderline personality disorder. Psychosis may come up during
times of extreme stress, a major lack of sleep, or trauma. People who are using or withdrawing from certain drugs or
medications may experience psychosis. Psychosis may also be caused by a brain injury, neurological problem, or other health
problem. So, while psychosis can be a part of schizophrenia, it can be caused by many other things too.
Negative and Positive Symptoms
LO3
Negative Symptoms Positive Symptoms:
These symptoms involve deficits in normal These symptoms are the most obvious signs of
behaviour such as communication and psychosis. Like Delusions and Hallucinations.
blunted affect- or lack of emotional
, Catatonia
Positive Symptoms LO 4 One of the most serious symptoms of schizophrenia. This exists
on a continuum with disorganization.
Catatonia is not confined to schizophrenia and complicate
Hallucinations:
other psychoses, notably mania.
Schizophrenic people often believe that the voices they’re hearing Catatonia involves motor dysfunctions that range from wild
are real. These perceptions occur regularly and overwhelming. These agitation to immobility and cover a vast range of strange,
may be formed or unformed. inappropriate motor behaviours; negativism, grimacing,
Formed hallucinations: discernable sounds like voices or visions cataplexy, echolalia and echopraxia
such a people, specters or animals. Unformed hallucinations: are Echolalia: Repetition or echoing of the speech of other, a
more indicative of physical illness. normal intermediate step in the development of speech skills.
Tactile hallucinations: are when you can feel things on your skin and Originally thought to be unique of developmental delay
are commonly felt by cocaine users. involved in that disorder
Haptic hallucinations: may involve a cutting sensation in the bone Echopraxia: The involuntary imitation of the movement of
marrow. another person.
Disorganization:
These include several erratic behaviours that effect communication, motor Neuroscience and Hallucinations:
behaviour and emotional reactions.
Disorganization refers to a break-up of the natural, logical cohesion, or Brain imaging helps see the hallucinations.
association between ideas and behaviours.
Normally disorganization manifests in communication disturbances where SPECT: Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
incoherence and loos of ideational association are most prominent. is to study the cerebral blood flow of men with
Associative splitting schizophrenia.
Cognitive splitage
Sometimes they jump from topic to topic Metacognition Theory: People who are hallucinating are
The DSM-5 calls it disorganized speech to describe such communication NOT hearing the voices of others but are listening to their
problems. own thoughts or their own voices and are unable to
The speech h isn’t really the problem, the thinking is. recognize the difference
They often perform repetitive and stereotypical movements. Strange
postures also illustrate motor disorganization.
, Negative Symptoms Pg 556
Asociality
Avolition/apathy:
Presumed lack of pleasure experienced by some people
Combining the prefix a, meaning ‘without’ and volition, with schizophrenia. Like some mood disorders,
which means ‘act of willing, choosing or deciding’. anhedonia signals an indifference to activities that would
typically be considered pleasurable, including eating,
Avolition is the inability to initiate and persist in social interactions and sexual relations. Anhedonia is
activities. People with this symptom, also referred to as defining feature of a major depressive episode.
apathy, show little interest in performing even the
most basic day-to-day functions, including those Anhedonia
Alogia: Social isolation. It is not the active avoidance of social
interaction.
Deficiency in the amount or content of speech, a
disturbance often seen in people with schizophrenia. Lack of engagement.
This deficiency in communication is believed to reflect a
negative thought disorder rather than inadequate Attentional deficits
communication skills. People with Alogia may have
trouble finding the right words to formulate their thoughts. Neuropsychological impairments affecting working
memory and executive functioning are found in
Affective Flattening: schizophrenia. A tendency to cognitive inflexibility is also
noted. The disorganization characteristic of schizophrenic
Talking to someone that shows no emotion. They have communication may be a function of impaired working
flat effect. They stare at you vacantly and do not react memory with a loss of abstract association.
openly to emotional situations, they may be responding
on the inside.
It’s the difficulty in expressing emotion, not a lack of
feeling.
