Schizophrenia

Question 1

What is a psychotic disorder?

Answer 1

A severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality.

Psychosis can manifest in various forms, including schizophrenia.

Question 2

What is schizophrenia?

Answer 2

A serious mental illness characterized by incoherent or illogical thoughts, bizarre behaviour and speech, and delusions or hallucinations.

Schizophrenia typically begins in early adulthood.

Question 3

What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 3

Behaviors that represent excesses in functioning, such as hallucinations and delusions.

Positive symptoms add additional behaviors to the individual’s existing repertoire.

Question 4

What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 4

Behaviors that represent deficits in functioning, such as avolition and alogia.

Negative symptoms diminish the individual’s existing behavioral repertoire.

Question 5

Define hallucinations in the context of schizophrenia.

Answer 5

Bizarre, unreal perceptions of the environment, often auditory, but can also be visual, olfactory, or tactile.

Many individuals with schizophrenia report hearing voices that comment on their behavior.

Question 6

Define delusions in the context of schizophrenia.

Answer 6

Bizarre beliefs that seem real to the person but are not, such as paranoid beliefs or inflated self-importance.

Examples include believing one is being spied on or has special powers.

Question 7

What is disorganized speech in schizophrenia?

Answer 7

Speech that shows abnormal thought processes, often incoherent and resembling ‘word salad’.

It may involve slipping from topic to topic, making it difficult to follow.

Question 8

What is avolition?

Answer 8

A negative symptom characterized by a lack of purposeful, willed behavior.

Avolition can significantly affect daily functioning and quality of life.

Question 9

What is alogia?

Answer 9

A negative symptom characterized by limited speech output with repetitive content.

Alogia reflects a reduction in verbal communication abilities.

Question 10

What is affective flattening?

Answer 10

A reduction in the range and intensity of emotional expression, including body language and voice tone.

Individuals with this symptom show fewer facial movements and smiles.

Question 11

What is the DSM-V?

Answer 11

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which classifies and describes over 200 mental disorders.

It is primarily used in the U.S. for diagnosing conditions like schizophrenia.

Question 12

What are the criteria for diagnosing schizophrenia according to DSM-IV-TR?

Answer 12

Experiencing two or more positive symptoms for a month, significant impact on functioning, and ruling out other causes.

Symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, and negative symptoms.

Question 13

True or False: Schizophrenia is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 35.

Answer 13

True

Both men and women are affected equally during this age range.

Question 14

Fill in the blank: Schizophrenic symptoms are split into two categories: _______ and _______.

Answer 14

positive symptoms; negative symptoms

Question 15

What is the diathesis-stress model?

Answer 15

An interactionist approach that explains and treats schizophrenia, considering both genetic predispositions and environmental stressors.

This model emphasizes the importance of both biological and psychological factors.

Question 16

What is the difference between typical and atypical antipsychotics?

Answer 16

Typical antipsychotics primarily target positive symptoms; atypical antipsychotics are claimed to be more effective for negative symptoms.

Atypical drugs are considered superior in addressing negative symptoms.

Question 17

What is comorbidity?

Answer 17

The extent that 2 or more conditions can occur at the same time.

Question 18

What is symptom overlap?

Answer 18

When symptoms of different disorders are similar, making diagnosis challenging.

Question 19

Define reliability in the context of schizophrenia diagnosis.

Answer 19

The consistency of a classification system such as DSM in assessing schizophrenia symptoms.

Question 20

Define validity in the context of schizophrenia diagnosis.

Answer 20

The extent that a diagnosis represents something real and distinct from other disorders.

Question 21

What does diagnostic reliability entail?

Answer 21

A diagnosis must be repeatable over time and among different clinicians.

Question 22

What is inter-rater reliability?

Answer 22

The degree to which different clinicians reach the same conclusions about a diagnosis.

Question 23

What did Cooper et al (1972) find regarding diagnosis inconsistency?

Answer 23

Inconsistency between New York and London psychiatrists in diagnosing schizophrenia.

Question 24

What was the concordance rate found by Jakobsen et al. (2005) using ICD-10?

Answer 24

98% concordance rate for diagnosing schizophrenia.

Question 25

What did Whaley (2001) discover about DSM inter-rater reliability?

Answer 25

Inter-rater reliability correlations as low as +0.11.

Question 26

What did Mojtabi & Nicholson find regarding distinguishing delusions?

Answer 26

Inter-rater reliability correlations of only +0.40 among US psychiatrists.

Question 27

What did Copeland (1971) find about cultural differences in schizophrenia diagnosis?

Answer 27

69% of US psychiatrists diagnosed schizophrenia vs 2% of British psychiatrists.

Question 28

What did Luhrman et al (2015) discover about experiences of auditory hallucinations?

Answer 28

Positive experiences reported by African and Indian subjects vs violent experiences by American subjects.

Question 29

What does test-retest reliability refer to?

Answer 29

The consistency of a test/tool over time.

Question 30

What did Wilks et al (2003) find regarding the RBANS test?

Answer 30

Test-retest reliability correlation coefficient of +0.84.

Question 31

What did Prescott et al (1986) find about cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia?

Answer 31

Stable performance on measures over a 6 month period.

Question 32

What are the implications of validity in schizophrenia diagnosis?

Answer 32

Is the diagnosis an accurate reflection of the disorder and distinct from others?

Question 33

What did Heather (1976) find regarding predictive validity of schizophrenia diagnosis?

Answer 33

Only a 50% chance of predicting treatment based on diagnosis.

Question 34

What did Rosenhan et al (1972) reveal about diagnostic tools?

Answer 34

The process is more subjective than hoped, questioning reliability and validity.

Question 35

What psychiatric co-morbidities are common among patients with schizophrenia?

Answer 35

* Substance abuse * Anxiety * Symptoms of depression

Question 36

What did Buckley et al (2009) find regarding co-morbidity?

Answer 36

Common occurrence of psychiatric co-morbidities among patients with schizophrenia.

Question 37

What is symptom overlap in relation to schizophrenia?

Answer 37

Many symptoms found in other disorders, complicating diagnosis.

Question 38

What did Ellason and Ross (1995) find about DID and schizophrenia symptoms?

Answer 38

People with DID have more schizophrenic symptoms than those diagnosed as schizophrenic.

Question 39

What did Broverman et al. (1970) find regarding gender bias in diagnosis?

Answer 39

Clinicians equated mentally healthy 'adult' behavior with 'male' behavior.

Question 40

What did Loring and Powell (1988) find about gender bias in diagnosis?

Answer 40

56% of male patients were diagnosed with schizophrenia vs 20% of female patients.

Question 41

What did Cochrane (1977) report about schizophrenia incidence in Afro-Caribbean groups?

Answer 41

Afro-Caribbean origin individuals are seven times more likely to be diagnosed in the UK.

Question 42

What did Harrison et al find regarding incidence rates of schizophrenia?

Answer 42

8 times higher for Afro-Caribbean groups than for white groups.

Question 43

What cultural belief is associated with auditory hallucinations in some Afro-Caribbean groups?

Answer 43

Communication with ancestors is considered normal.

Question 44

True or False: Auditory hallucinations are always considered a symptom of schizophrenia.

Answer 44

False

Question 45

Fill in the blank: The diagnosis of schizophrenia can be influenced by _______.

Answer 45

[cultural background]

Question 46

What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 46

Positive symptoms are additions to normal experience, such as hallucinations and delusions. ## Footnote They contrast with negative symptoms, which reflect a deficit in normal experience.

Question 47

What cultural belief is associated with Agwe's experience in Jamaica?

Answer 47

Some Afro-Caribbean groups believe that their ancestors communicate with them. ## Footnote This belief may lead to different interpretations of symptoms like hearing voices.

Question 48

What is co-morbidity in the context of schizophrenia?

Answer 48

Co-morbidity is where two conditions co-exist in the same individual at the same time. ## Footnote For example, a person with schizophrenia might also suffer from depression or a personality disorder.

Question 49

How can symptom overlap affect the diagnosis of schizophrenia?

Answer 49

Symptom overlap can lead to unreliable or incorrect diagnoses. ## Footnote For instance, a symptom like delusions might be present in both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Question 50

Define reliability in relation to the diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Answer 50

Reliability refers to the level of agreement on the diagnosis by different psychiatrists across time and cultures. ## Footnote It also includes the stability of diagnosis over time given no change in symptoms.

Question 51

What does validity mean in the context of schizophrenia diagnosis?

Answer 51

Validity is the extent to which schizophrenia is a unique syndrome with characteristic signs and symptoms. ## Footnote It assesses whether the diagnosis accurately reflects the condition.

Question 52

List some issues affecting the reliability and validity of schizophrenia diagnosis.

Answer 52

* Range of symptoms across individuals * Comorbidity * Symptom overlap with other disorders * Cultural bias * Labelling effects

Question 53

True or False: The reliability of major classification systems like ICD and DSM is universally accepted.

Answer 53

False ## Footnote There are variations in reliability across different clinicians and cultures.

Question 54

What might be a wider implication of issues in the reliability and validity of schizophrenia diagnosis?

Answer 54

Wider implications include labelling and cultural bias. ## Footnote Misdiagnosis can lead to stigma and inappropriate treatment.

Question 55

Fill in the blank: Co-morbidity is when two conditions _______.

Answer 55

[co-exist in the same individual at the same time]

Question 56

What is an example of a condition that might co-occur with schizophrenia?

Answer 56

Examples include: * Personality disorder * Depression * Alcoholism