Diagnosis and Classification of Schizophrenia

Question 1

What does the term schizophrenia literally mean?

Answer 1

Split-mind.

Question 2

What is the stigma surrounding schizophrenia which is not true?

Answer 2

It’s NOT a disorder where people have 2 distinct selves or personalities.

Question 3

What is schizophrenia best described as?

Answer 3

A condition where personality loses its unity.

Question 4

What is Stafford-Clarke’s (1964) definition of schnizophrenia?

Answer 4

A generic name for a group of disorders, characterised by a progressive disintegration of emotional stability which produces secondary impairment of the personality, relationships and international functioning.

Question 5

What does schizophrenia affect?

Answer 5

A persons thought processes and ability to determine reality.
The degree of severity varies among sufferers.

Question 6

What are the 2 major systems for the classification of schizophrenia?

Answer 6

DSM-5
ICD-10

Question 7

How many symptoms do you need to have for the DSM-5 to diagnose you with schizophrenia?

Answer 7

1 positive symptom.

Question 8

How many symptoms do you need to have for the ICD-10 to diagnose you with schizophrenia?

Answer 8

2 negative symptoms.

Question 9

What is the definition of a positive symptom?

Answer 9

Atypical symptoms experienced in addition to normal experiences.

Question 10

What is the definition of a negative symptom?

Answer 10

Atypical experiences that represent the loss of a usual experience such as clear thinking or ‘normal’ levels of motivation.

Question 11

What are the 2 examples of positive symptoms?

Answer 11

-Hallucinations
-Delusions

Question 12

What are the 2 examples of negative symptoms?

Answer 12

-Speech poverty
-Avolition

Question 13

What is a hallucion?

Answer 13

-An unusual sensory experience.
-Some can involve the environment and some don’t.
-They can be experienced in relation to any sense.
(E.g. Distorted facial expressions + hearing voices)

Question 14

What is a delusion?

Answer 14

-Irrational beliefs (paranoia)
-Common delusions involve being an important historical/ political/ religious figure.
-Also commonly involve being persecuted.
-Some concern the body, a person may believe they are under some external control.
-Delusions can make people behave in ways that are normal to them but bizarre to others.

Question 15

What is speech poverty?

Answer 15

-Change in pattern of speech.
-Sometimes accompanied by a delay in the person’s verbal responses during conversation.

Question 16

What is speech disorganisation?

Answer 16

Speech becomes incoherent or the speaker changes topic mid-sentence.

Question 17

What type of symptom is speech disorganisation classified as?

Answer 17

A positive symptom.

Question 18

What is avolition?

Answer 18

-Finding it difficult to keep up with goal-directed activity.
-People with SZ often have sharply reduced motivation to carry out a range of activities.

Question 19

What did Nancy Andreasen (1982) believe the 3 signs for avolition are?

Answer 19

-Poor hygiene and grooming
-Lack of persistence in work or education
-Lack of energy