Classification of Schizophrenia Flashcards

Classification of Schizophrenia

• Diagnostics primarily rely on two manuals: DSM (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and ICD (International Classification of Diseases).
• DSM developed by the American Psychiatric Association; ICD by the World Health Organization.

What is Classification

• Involves clustering symptoms and categorizing them.
• Aims to classify the disorder within a broader group of mental health disorders.

Schneider's (1959) Symptoms

• Passivity experiences: Perception of thoughts/actions being externally controlled.
• Auditory hallucinations: Hearing violent voices commenting on the individual's behavior.
• Primary delusions: False beliefs in high importance, such as being a religious figure.

Psychopathology

• The study focused on mental diseases.

Psychosis

• Severe mental disorder characterized by significant emotional and mental disruptions.
• More debilitating than neurosis.

Neurosis

• Also referred to as chronic; it is a mild mental disorder not stemming from organic diseases.
• Often linked to stress, anxiety, and depression.

Aetiology

• The examination of origins and causes of mental disorders.

Type I Schizophrenia

• Acute form with positive symptoms; typically responsive to medication.

Type II Schizophrenia

• Chronic type characterized by negative symptoms; usually resistant to medication.

Negative Symptoms

• Include emotional disruptions and dysfunctional behaviors.
• Common in chronic episodes, leading to difficulties in social functioning.

Examples of Negative Symptoms

• Affective deficits: Lack of emotional expression.
• Communication deficits: Variable speech patterns.
• Avolition: Reduced motivation.
• Social withdrawal and poor personal hygiene.
• Catatonia: Lack of movement.

Speech Poverty

• Recognized as a negative symptom by ICD-10; involves limited speech output.

Positive Symptoms

• Represent loss of reality touch, including hallucinations and delusions.
• Typically occur in acute episodes and are responsive to medication.

Examples of Positive Symptoms

• Hallucinations and delusions.
• Echolalia: Repetition of another's speech.
• Psychomotor agitation and incoherent speech.

Hallucinations

• False perceptions of non-existent stimuli.

Delusions

• Strongly held false beliefs not aligned with reality.

Slater & Roth's (1969) Symptoms

• Thought process disorders: Includes speech poverty and unusual language use.
• Disturbances of effect: Inappropriate responses to situations.
• Psychomotor disturbances: Involvement in tics or repetitive behaviors.
• Avolition: Lack of decision-making and low energy.

Diagnosis of Schizophrenia

• Diagnosed through DSM-5 or ICD-10 systems; distinct symptoms allow reliable diagnosis.

Reliability

• Refers to consistency in diagnosing schizophrenia among clinicians.
• Test-retest reliability: Evaluation of consistency across multiple assessments.
• Inter-rater reliability: Agreement between different clinicians diagnosing a patient.

Positive Predictive Value (PPV) & Cohen's Kappa

• Measures of reliability evaluating consistency of diagnoses over time.
• PPV reflects the proportion of patients retaining the same diagnosis, usually expressed in percentages.

This quiz focuses on the classification of schizophrenia using major diagnostic manuals. You will learn about the DSM and ICD methods employed in the diagnosis of this mental illness. Perfect for psychology students and professionals seeking to deepen their knowledge in psychiatric classifications.