SCHIZOPHRENIA, SUBSTANCE ABUSE Flashcards
(28 cards)
Whats psychosis?
Broad construct/ umbrella term for a state of mind characterised by loss of touch with reality
- clusters of symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, withdrawal from society
What is psychotic disorders?
Heterogeneous
The severity of mood symptoms in psychosis has prognostic value and guides treatment
- may be induced by substance, medications, toxins and other medical conditions
Whats delusions?
Fixed beliefs that are not amenable to change in light if conflicting evidence may include a variety of themes
What’s hallucinations?
Vivid and clear perception like experiences that occur without an external stimulus
Auditory or visual
Whats disorganised thinking/speech?
Switching from one topic to another, as Wes may be obliquely related or completely unrelated
Severe enough to substantially impair effective communication
Explain grossly disorganised/ abnormal motor behaviour?
From Catalonia - marked decrease in reactivity to environment - to unpredictable agitation
Whats post partum psychosis?
Postpartum psychosis, also known as
puerperal psychosis or peripartum
psychosis, involves the abrupt onset of
psychotic symptoms shortly following
childbirth, typically within two weeks
of delivery but less than 4 weeks
postpartum
Whats schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia proposed to be a specific form of psychosis
• Comes from Greek words meaning “split” and “mind”
• People with schizophrenia do NOT have split
personalities
• “split mind” refers to the fact that people with
schizophrenia are split off from reality (i.e., can’t
distinguish what is real from what is not real)
• Lasts for at least 6 months and includes at least 1 month
of active-phase symptoms
What’s positive symptomology?
The presence of abnormal experiences or behaviours that are not typically seen in healthy individuals
Whats negative symptomology?
Deficits or reductions in normal/typical emotional, cognitive or behavioural functioning
What’s cognitive symptomology?
Impairment in cognitive processes such as attention,
memory, executive function, and processing speed
▪ Individuals with schizophrenia may experience a combination of
positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms
▪ Symptoms can vary in severity and presentation among
individuals, and over time
Examples of positive symptoms?
Hallucinations
Delusions
Disorganised thinking
Agitation
Examples of negative symptoms?
Lack of drive or initiative
Social withdrawal
Apathy
Lack of emotional response
Whats biological aetiology for schizophrenia?
Twin studies have shown that tendency for both monozygotic
twins to develop schizophrenia is between 30 to 50% (dizygotic
twins -15%)
▪ Larger than normal lateral ventricles (contain cerebrospinal fluid),
▪ Dopamine theory - schizophrenia caused by an overactive
dopamine system
What’s environmental aetiology in schizophrenia?
▪ Infections or viruses at an early age, exposure to toxins or drugs
▪ Childhood adversity/trauma (e.g., abuse)
▪ Substance abuse (e.g., cannabis, amphetamines)
▪ Urbanicity (
Whats interventions for schizophrenia?
▪ Antipsychotic medications (do not cure disease, but reduce positive
symptoms)
▪ Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT):
○ Recognising and challenging distorted beliefs, reducing distress
associated with hallucinations and delusions
○ Improving coping skills, developing practical tools to change these
patterns of thought
▪ Family therapy: psychoeducation, improving communication, and
providing support and skills training
▪ Social skills training (communication and interpersonal interactions to
enhance functioning and community integration)
▪ Arts therapy: promoting a creative and safe expression of experiences;
shown to alleviate negative symptoms
Whats substance use?
Consumption of psychoactive substances in
a manner that does not necessarily result in
negative consequences or impairment of
functioning
Whats substance abuse?
The recurrent use of substances despite
experiencing negative consequences
Whats substance dependence (addiction)
Compulsive drug-seeking and use,
accompanied by tolerance, withdrawal
symptoms, and difficulty controlling or
stopping substance use
Whats substance induced disorders?
( substance/medication-induced
disorders)
▪ Physiological effects of an
exogenous substance on the
central nervous system (e.g.,
intoxicants - alcohol, inhalants;
medication - stimulants,
sedative-hypnotics, steroids;
environmental toxins)
▪ Most commonly relates to
psychotic, bipolar, depressive,
sleep disorders
Whats substance use disorder?
- cognitive, behavioural, and
physiological symptoms
indicating continuous use of
the substance despite
significant substance-related
problems
▪ underlying change in brain
circuits that may persist
beyond detoxification,
particularly in individuals with
severe disorders
What’s impaired control?
Impaired control
● Substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a
longer period than was intended
● There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to
cut down or control substance use
● A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to
obtain the substance, use the substance, or recover
from its effects
● Craving, or a strong desire or urge to use the
substance
Whats social impairment?
Social impairment
● Recurrent substance use resulting in a failure to fulfil
major role obligations at work, school, or home
● Continued substance use despite having persistent or
recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or
exacerbated by the effects of the substance
● Important social, occupational, or recreational
activities are given up or reduced because of
substance use
Whats the risk of substance?
Risky use of substance
● Recurrent substance use in situations in which it is
physically hazardous
● Substance use is continued despite knowledge of
having a persistent or recurrent physical or
psychological problem that is likely to have been
caused or exacerbated by the substance
