Characteristics of Schizophrenia

A psychotic disorder that causes a variety of psychological symptoms
Typified as a lack of contact with reality
Episodic disorder - Episodes of active schzizophrenia last 1-6 months then normal functioning occurs

220,000 people - 1/100 people

15-35

Yes - but women are diagnosed 10-15years later than men

Symptoms that the person experiences in addition to their normal behaviour

Hallucinations
Delusions
Disordered Thinking

Perceptions that are not real
- Auditory, Tactile, Visual

Lewandoski - Estimated 20% of schizophrenic individuals have tactile hallucinations - sensations of touch

Formication - Refwrs to tactile hallucinations of bugs under the skin

Beliefs that are not real

Delusions of Persecution: Based on the idea that a person, group or organisation want to harm the individual

Delusion of Grandiosity: Suggests the individual is special in some way -Superiority and Powerful

A person’s thoughts and discourse seem to jump from one topic to another for no apparant reason and shows no logical flow

Speech is muddled and incoherent

Thoughts are not there own

Symptoms that the person experiences that inhibit them from demonstrating normal behaviours

Poverty of speech

Individuals are unconcerned with what is going on in their surroundings & with a lack of goal directed behaviour

When an individual does not react appropriately to pleasurable experiences

Individuals show no emotion and no facial expressions with behaviour being described as apathetic and speech patterns are monotonous

Fast, repetitive movements to little to no movement at all

Schizophrenics mimic the movement of others