A level aqa psychology schizophrenia notes which include AO1 and AO3 (descriptive evaluation points on each subtopic of schizophrenia. These notes can be used to answer short answer questions and even 16 mark essays.
-Schizophrenia is a type of psychosis characterised by a profound disruption of cognition and
emotion. In order to make a diagnosis of Sz, a clinician would use a diagnostic manual such as
DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders) which is mostly used in the
US, whereas in Europe ICD (International Classification of Diseases) is more commonly used.
Positive symptoms of Sz:-
-They appear to reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning. They include:-
Hallucinations - distortions or exaggerations of perception in any of the senses, most notably
auditory hallucinations but they can also be visual, olfactory (smell) or tactile (touch). They are
false perceptions that have no basis in reality. Many schizophrenics report hearing a voice or
several voices, telling them to do something or commenting on their behaviour.
Delusions - firmly held erroneous beliefs that are caused by distortions of reasoning or
misinterpretations of perceptions or experiences which are held despite being completely
illogical, or for which there is no evidence. They may be delusions of grandeur (inflated beliefs
about the person’s power and importance), delusions of reference (events in environments
appear directly related to them).
Disorganised speech - result of abnormal thought processes, where the individual has problems
organising his/her thoughts and this shows up in their speech may lead to derailment.
Grossly disorganised -inability or motivation to initiate a task, or to complete it once it started=
decreased personal hygiene. Catatonic behaviours=reduced reaction to immediate
environment.
Negative symptoms of Sz:-
-They appear to reflect a reduction or loss of normal functioning. They include:-
Speech poverty (alogia) - lessening of speech fluency and productivity, which reflects slowing
or blocked thoughts. It can manifest itself as short and empty replies to questions. It is not a
matter of not knowing as many words as non-schizophrenics, but more a difficulty of
spontaneously producing them.
Avolition - is the reduction, difficulty, or inability to start and continue with goal-directed
behaviour. It is often mistaken for apparent disinterest. Examples of avolition include: no longer
being interested in going out and meeting with friends, no longer being interested in activities
that the person used to show enthusiasm for, no longer being interested in anything, sitting in
the house for many hours a day doing nothing.
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