Class notes

Chapter 11 - Schizophrenia

7 views 1 purchase

Course
PSYC 300A

Institution
University Of British Columbia (UBC )

In this comprehensive collection, we explore the complex and fascinating aspects of schizophrenia, a severe mental disorder. We delve into the diagnostic criteria, symptoms, and subtypes of schizophrenia, providing an in-depth understanding of its clinical presentation. Gain insight into the neurob...

[Show more]

Preview 2 out of 13 pages

View example

Uploaded on May 11, 2023
Number of pages 13
Written in 2021/2022
Type Class notes
Professor(s) Sheila woody
Contains Schizophrenia

CA$12.32

Added

Add to cart Add to wishlist

100% satisfaction guarantee
Immediately available after payment
Both online and in PDF
No strings attached

PSYC 300
Chapter 11 – Schizophrenia
1.1 Clinical Symptoms of Schizophrenia
- Symptoms of people with schizophrenia involve disturbances in several major areas:
 Thought, perception, and attention
 Motor behaviour
 Affect or emotion
 Life functioning.
- The range of problems of people diagnosed as schizophrenic is extensive  only some problems
may be present at any given time.
- DSM determines how many problems must be present and in what degree to justify a diagnosis
 Duration of the disorder is also important in diagnosis
- Heterogeneity suggests it may be appropriate to subdivide people with schizophrenia into types
that manifest various problems.
- The main symptoms of schizophrenia fit in two categories: positive and negative

Positive Symptoms
- Positive symptoms: schizophrenic symptoms and behavioural excesses, such as hallucinations
and bizarre behaviour
 Positive symptoms are the presence of too much of a behaviour that is not apparent in
most people
 Negative symptoms are the absence of a behaviour that should be evident in most
people.
- Disorganized speech
 Also known as formal thought disorder, disorganized speech is a disorder in which the
client has problems in organizing ideas and in speaking so that a listener can understand.
o Disorganized speech: problems in organizing ideas and in speaking so that a
listener can understand (used to be known as formal thought disorder)
 Incoherence sometimes forms in the conversation of individuals with schizophrenia.
o Incoherence: aspect of thought disorder wherein verbal expression is marked by
disconnectedness, fragmented thoughts, and jumbled phrases.
o Although the person may make repeated references to central ideas or a theme,
the images and fragments of thought are not connected
o Difficult to understand exactly what the person is trying to say.
 Speech may also be disordered by loose associations (or derailment)
o Loose association: aspect of thought disorder where the client has difficulty
sticking to one topic and drifts on a train of association evoked by past ideas.
o Person may be more successful in communicating with a listener but has
difficulty sticking to one topic.
o Clients have themselves provided descriptions of this state.
 Evidence indicates speech of schizophrenics is not disorganized and the presence of
disorganized speech does not discriminate well between schizophrenia and other
psychoses (e.g., some mood disorders)
o E.g., people in a manic episode exhibit loose associations as much as do people
with schizophrenia.
- Delusions
 Delusions: beliefs contrary to reality firmly held despite evidence to the contrary
o Common in paranoid disorders
o Belief that one is being manipulated by some external force such as radar,
television, or a creature from outer space

, o Belief that one is an especially important or powerful person
o Belief that one is being plotted against or oppressed by others (persecutory
delusion)
 Beliefs held contrary to reality are common positive symptoms of schizophrenia.
 Persecutory delusions are found in 65% of a large, cross-national sample of people with
schizophrenia
 Delusions may take several other forms
 Kurt Schneider introduced some of the most important delusions.
o Person may be unwilling recipient of bodily sensations or thoughts imposed by
an external agency.
o People may believe their thoughts are broadcasted or transmitted  others
know what they are thinking
o People may think their thoughts are being stolen from them, suddenly and
unexpectedly, by an external force.
o Some believe their feelings are controlled by an external force.
o Some believe impulses to behave in certain ways are imposed on them by some
external force
- Hallucinations (Distortions of Perception)
 People with schizophrenia often report that the world seems different and unreal to them.
o A person may mention changes in how their body feels, or the person's body
may become so depersonalized it feels like a machine.
 Kurt Schneider (German psychiatrist) proposed forms of hallucinations and delusions,
(first-rank symptoms) are central to defining schizophrenia.
 Most dramatic distortions of perception are hallucinations  sensory experiences in the
absence of any stimulation from the environment.
o More often auditory than visual
o Like delusions, hallucinations can be frightening experiences.
 Some hallucinations are thought to be important diagnostically  occur more often in
people with schizophrenia than other psychotic disorders, include:
o Report hearing voices and thoughts other than their own
o Some report they hear voices arguing
o Some report hearing voices commenting on their actions/behaviour

Negative Symptoms
- Negative symptoms: behavioural deficits in schizophrenia:
 Apathy
o Negative symptom in which the individual lacks interest, energy, and drive.
o Apathy is a lack of energy and seeming absence of interest in usual routine
activities.
o Clients may become inattentive to grooming and personal hygiene 
uncombed hair, dirty nails, and dishevelled clothes.
o Difficulty persisting at work, school, or household chores and may spend much
of their time sitting around doing nothing.
 Alogia
o Negative symptom, marked by poverty of speech and of speech content.
o Poverty of speech  sheer amount of speech is reduced.
o Poverty of content of speech  amount of discourse is adequate but conveys
little or no information, tends to be vague and repetitive.
 Anhedonia

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller yaldahomayoun. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for CA$12.32. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

77254 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now

Start selling