Psychosis Flashcards
(84 cards)
Define Psychosis
a mental state in which reality is greatly distorted
Name the three prevalent features of Psychosis
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Thought Disorder
Define Delusions
fixed false beliefs despite being contradicted by reality
How many types of common delusions are there? Name and explain them.
7
1. persecutory - most common, person fears they will be harmed (they are being spied upon or poisoned)
2. grandeur - believes they are much greater or more influential than they really are (really rich or president of the USA)
3. jealousy - fear spouse/partner is being unfaithful, more common in men, go to severe extents to find out if they are unfaithful (spying/detectives/ UNFAITHFUL).
4. love/erotomania - believes the person they are fixated with is massively in love with them, stalks them, jealousy and aggression can occur, usually with celeb or unknown person (STALKER).
5. somatic - tactile (feel bugs) or physical thing wrong with them (body part not working, think they smell funny)
6. Hypochondriasis - cough = tuberculosis = death
7. mixed - more than one of the previously mentioned delusions
What other types of delusions are there?
- delusions of reference: TV is talking about them
- delusion of control: external forces controlling thoughts, feelings or behaviours.
- delusion of thought insertion, thought withdrawal & thought broadcasting (believes others can hear thoughts)
- delusions of guilt
- nihilistic delusions: believe they’re dead, lost organs etc.
- bizarre: alien invasion
Name three ways of classifying delusions
- Cause
- primary vs secondary (primary:occuring in the mind, no preceding reasons, secondary: can be understood due to the abnormality of another mental state issue) - Mood
- congruent vs incongruent (happy mood = mania, sad mood = depression/depressive thoughts, guilt etc.) - Plausibility
- bizarre vs non-bizarre (physically impossible beliefs vs potentially correct beliefs, being an alien vs being cheated on)
Name four organic causes of psychosis
- drug induced
- iatrogenic (steroids)
- dementia
- delirium (UTI)
(Lyme disease/other medical conditions may induce psychosis)
define schizophrenia
The most common form of psychosis characterised by hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorders which lead to functional impairment
Give three PREDISPOSING risk factors for schizophrenia
- Substance misuse
- Family history
- Neurochemical imbalance (dopamine increased, GABA decreased).
Give two PRECIPITATING risk factors for schiophrenia
- Smoking cannabis
- Adverse life events
Give three PERPETUATING risk factors for schizophrenia
- Substance misuse
- Poor medication compliance & doses
- Lack of social support
What are Schneider’s First Rank Symptoms for Schizophrenia?
- Delusional perception
- Third-person auditory hallucinations (he looks awful today - talking about the pt.)
- Thought Interference (insertion, withdrawal & broadcasting)
- Passivity phenomenon (they have no control)
when can +ve symptoms be seen in schizophrenia?
all the time but normally in acute phases
Delusions Held Firmly Think Psychosis - this mnemonic stands for?
D - delusions
H - hallucinations
F - formal thought disorder (inability to continue conversations fluently)
T - thought interference (insert, withdrawal broad).
P - passivity phenomenon
When are negative symptoms normally seen?
chronic phase schizophrenia
Give six features of Negative Symptoms
- flat affect (no emotion in the face)
- reduced social interaction
- anhedonia
- avolition (less motivation/focus)
- alogia (speaking less)
- catatonia (moving less)
how many main subtypes of schizophrenia are there?
7
Name the subtypes of schizophrenia
- paranoid
- hebephrenia
- post schizophrenic depression
- catatonic
- simple
- undifferentiated
- residual
Define paranoid schizophrenia?
usually characterised by stable delusions, hallucinations (usually auditory), and perceptual disturbances.
Define Hebephrenic schizophrenia (disorganised)
aimless, disorganised behavior, rambling, incoherent speech, fleeting hallucinations and delusions, negative symptoms & inappropriate emotions (diagnosed in adolescence)
Define post-schizophrenic depression
schizophrenia in the last 12 months but not now, depressed. some positive symptoms may still be present but won’t dominate the picture
Define catatonic schizophrenia
dominated psychomotor disturbances, stupor and hyperkinesis and hyper excitement at some points and can have maintained postures
Define undifferentiated schizophrenia
meet the threshold but don’t fit into other categories
Define Residual Schizophrenia
chronic phase of schizophrenia, less prominent positive symptoms and more prominent negative symptoms
