Psychology Schizophrenia Symptoms

Learning outcomes: a) To describe the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia  If you can, watch the film A beautiful mind to show the effects of schizophrenia and why schizophrenics find it difficult to realise they have the disorder.

Symptoms and features of schizophrenia Features of a mental health disorder usually involve statistics about the disorder, or aspects of it such as how the illness develops or how other factors such as age and gender link. Symptoms are what categorise the disorder with regard to how the person thinks, feels or behaves.

Symptoms and features First-ranking symptoms include hearing voices and ideas about being guided by others. Second-rank symptoms included flattened emotions. There is not physical way of diagnosing schizophrenia, although research looking at thee possibility of using a blood test or eye tracking is currently underway. Only a psychiatrist can make a diagnosis of schizophrenia using symptoms and features.

Distinguishing features from symptoms Symptoms are what the person presents with to the doctor. Features are wider. Schizophrenia occurs in about per 1000 people. About a quarter of those who have a schizophrenic episode never have another one. Another quarter have it without breaks. 50% have periods of recovery and periods of symptoms.

Positive symptoms – about changing the thinking in the person Hallucinations – HEARING OR SEEING THINGS (in some cultures positive) that are not there Delusions – FALSE BELIEFS – thinking their movements are controlled by someone else e.g. paranoid delusion –the suffer thinks that someone is trying to mislead, manipulate or even kill them. Someone who suffers from delusions of grandeur may think they are in a prominent position of power, such as a king or think they can cure cancer.

Positive symptoms – about changing the thinking in the person Thought disorders – make someone's speech hard to follow. They might loose concentration at work, or complain of muddled thinking, they may become disorganised. ‘Thought insertion’ (a person thinks their own thoughts are put there by someone else) or ‘thought broadcasting’ (thinking others can hear their thoughts.

Evaluation of positive symptoms These tend to have greater weight when diagnosing schizophrenia but they can be affected by cultural differences so perhaps should not be weighted as strongly as negative symptoms, which might be more objectively measured.

Negative symptoms Often start before positive ones, sometimes years before the diagnosis. This is known as the prodromal period. They include: -Lack of energy and apathy – no motivation to do daily chores -Social withdrawal - avoiding family, not going out -Flatness of emotions – face becomes emotionless, voice dulls - not looking after appearance and self – generally not adhering to expectations with regard to preserving a sense of self.

Evaluation of negative symptoms Seem less effected by cultural factors so they can be more objectively measured Lack of energy etc can be easy measured but hearing voices or not is impossible Prodromal features have been found to be present in many adolescents and cannot be taken to indicate the onset of schizophrenia on their own.

Types of schizophrenia Paranoid schizophrenia –characterised by someone being suspicious of others and having delusions of grandeur. Often have hallucinations as well. Disorganised schizophrenia – is characterised by speech being disorganised and hard to follow, as well as the person having inappropriate moods for the situation. There are no hallucinations. Catatonic schizophrenia – is when someone is very withdrawn and isolated and has little physical movement.

Types of schizophrenia Residual schizophrenia is when there are low level positive symptoms but psychotic symptoms are present. Undifferentiated schizophrenia – is when the person does not fit the other types.