Positive And Negative Symptoms Flashcards
(29 cards)
Positive symptoms
What does research notice about hallucinations
research shows changes in the speech area of the brain when people experience hallucinations - these studies show the experience of hearing voices as a real one, as if the brain
Positive symptoms
Define delusions
A belief with complete conviction, even though it is based on a mistaken, strange or unrealistic view
- they can be linked to justifying hallucinations - examples of delusions: reading too deeply into TV, magazines or radio articles for hidden codes etc.
Positive symptoms
Define confused thoughts (thought disorder)
People experiencing psychosis often have trouble keeping track of their thoughts and conversations
Positive symptoms
Define changes in behaviour and thoughts
Behaviour may become more disorganised and unpredictable and appearance or dress may seem unusual to others - some people feel their body is being taken over and that someone else is directing their movements and actions
What is a Positive symptom?
Where something is added to your personality
What is a negative symptom?
Where something is removed from your personality
What is the initial appearance of negative symptoms known as?
Prodromal period
Explain the onset of negative symptoms
Negative symptoms can often appear several years before somebody experiences their first schizophrenic episode - these initial negative symptoms are often referred to as the prodromal period. They usually appear gradually and slowly get worse.
Examples of negative symptoms present in the prodromal period
- becoming more socially withdrawn
- experiencing an increasing lack of care about your personal appearance and hygiene
- losing interest and motivation in life and activities including relationships and sex
- lack of concentration; not wanting to leave the house and changes in sleeping patterns
- being less likely to initiate conversation with people and feeling uncomfortable in social situations
Difficulty with establishing negative symptoms in the prodromal period as early onset schizophrenia…
It can be difficult to tell whether the symptoms are as a result of developing schizophrenia or are as a result of something else
3 examples of actual negative symptoms (not prodromal period)
Affective flattening
Alogia
Avolition
Negative symptoms
What is affective flattening?
Lack of emotion
Negative symptoms
What is Alogia
Poverty of speech
Negative symptoms
What is Avolition
Having no drive to do anything
What is most countries life time risk of being diagnosed with Sz?
1%
Average age range for onset?
15-45
It is equally common in males and females except for one difference:
Onset is usually 4-5 years earlier in males
What are the two types of schizophrenia?
Chronic onset and acute onset
What is chronic onset Sz?
Insidious (gradual) change in apparently normal person- slowly lose drive and motivation and start to drift away from friends. After months/years, more obvious signs such as delusional ideas/ hallucinations occur,
What is acute onset Sz?
Signs such as hallucinations appear suddenly, usually after a stressful event - very disturbed behaviour within a few days.
Name the two classification systems and the populations they represent
ICD - European classification system
DSM - American classification system
ICD (Europe)
What does it state for diagnosis? I.e. How many symptoms present and for how long?
Either one of the symptoms listed under (1) or at least 2 of the symptoms listed under (2) should be present for most of the time during an episode of psychotic illness lasting for at least one month (or at some time during most of the days)
An example of symptoms in brackets (1) and (2) for the ICD
(1) thought echo, insertion, withdrawal or broadcasting
(2) persistent hallucinations of any modality
(2) catatonic behaviour
What is the DSMs process of diagnosis
A) characteristic symptoms: two or more of the following, each present for a significant portion of time
- hallucinations
- delusions
- disorganised speech
- catatonic behaviour
- negative symptoms
B) social/ occupational dysfunction: for a significant portion of the time since the onset of the disturbance, one or more major areas of functioning (e.g. Interpersonal relations) are markedly below the level achieved prior to onset
C) Duration - continuous signs of the disturbance persist for at least 6 months. This 6 month period must include at least 1 month symptoms that meet criterion A
