Diagnosis and classification of schizophrenia

Question 1

What is schizophrenia?

Answer 1

A type of psychosis, a severe mental disorder in which thoughts and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality.

Question 2

What are positive symptoms?

Answer 2

Symptoms which reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning e.g. hallucinations and delusions

Question 3

What are negative symptoms?

Answer 3

Symptoms which reflect a loss of normal functioning e.g. Speech poverty and avolition

Question 4

What are hallucinations?

Answer 4

Sensory experiences of stimuli that have either no basis in reality or are distorted perceptions of things that are there.

Question 5

What are delusions?

Answer 5

Erroneous beliefs that hold no basis in reality

Question 6

What is speech poverty (alogia)?

Answer 6

The lessening of speech fluency and productivity, which reflects slowing or blocked thoughts

Question 7

What is avolition?

Answer 7

Loss of motivation to carry out tasks, resulting in lowered activity levels