Chapter 9 Flashcards
What are some of the symptoms of schizophrenia?
- Positive symptoms
(a) hallucination
(b) delusions
(c) disorganized speech or behaviour - Negative symptoms
(a) avolition
(b) anhedonia
What are some of the myths of schizophrenia?
People think that schizophrenics
- are dangerous,
- have two separate personalities, or
- become homeless “street people”,
but these are not true.
What does the term “positive symptom” mean?
exaggerated or changed versions of normal behaviour, e.g. when you mostly see what everyone else sees but add your own details or interpretations
What does the term “negative symptom” mean?
loss of normal behaviours and experiences
What is a hallucination?
mis-interpretations of sensory perceptions (but not dreams or drugs)
What are the kinds of hallucinations?
They can be from any of the sense organs, including:
1. auditory (hearing)
2. visual (seeing)
3. tactile (touch)
4. taste
5. smell
Which type of hallucination is most common in schizophrenia?
auditory (hearing things that other people don’t hear)
What causes hallucinations?
patient cannot tell whether stimuli come from the outside world or from his own thoughts, for example because they cannot recognize their own internal experiences
What are delusions?
strange or impossible beliefs that you do not stop believing in, even when it is against the evidence
What kinds of delusions are there?
- persecutory (paranoia) - that people are following you and trying to hurt you
- referential - when you think that everyday things are specially for you
- somatic - related to body
- religious - believing that religious writings (Bible) tell how to save or destroy the world, or that the patient is part of the story
- grandeur - thinking someone has more power than they do
What is disorganized speech?
when a patient’s words, sentences, or ideas do not seem to be related to one another, so that their speech seems unusual to other people
What is anhedonia?
no ability to enjoy any good emotions
What is avolition?
no motivation to do anything
What kinds of movement problems might a person with schizophrenia have?
- grossly disorganized behaviour - can’t sit still, also problems with doing daily tasks (getting dressed, showering)
- catatonic behaviour - less movement, body is very straight and not movable
What is it called when some of the symptoms of schizophrenia are caused by narcotics?
substance-induced psychotic disorder
What is the “level of functioning” criterion for schizophrenia?
a person’s progress in major areas like work or school, relationships, and self-care is below the level they were achieving before
What is it called when someone has symptoms of both schizophrenia and depression or bipolar?
schizoaffective
What is it called when someone has some of the symptoms of schizophrenia but only for the short-term?
- brief psychotic disorder (less than one month)
- schizophreniform disorder (one to six months)
When does schizophrenia normally appear?
in adolescence or young adulthood (15-45 years)
What are some proposed markers for schizophrenia?
- eye-tracking - people with schizophrenia will not follow a moving object smoothly, instead their eyes will bounce around the room
- continuous performance test - people with schizophrenia often get a lower achievement on this test of cognitive skills
What is one problem with the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia?
they rely on reports of hallucinations and delusions that cannot be checked
What is a disease marker?
sign (показатель) that shows that someone has a certain disease
Which historical proposals for the etiology of schizophrenia were influential?
- psychoanalysts’ theory about severely-rejecting mothers (“schizophrenogenic”)
- Jung’s theory that the “collective unconscious” could “erupt” in dreams and mental illnesses
- social theories, e.g. “social drift” theories that people with schizophrenia have problems getting out of poverty
What are the modern theories of the etiology of schizophrenia?
- Meehl’s “schizotype” theory of “hypokirisa”, “cognitive slippage”, and “aversive drift”
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