- 'schizophrenia is a generic name for a group of disorders, characterised by a progressive disintegration of emotional stability, judgement, contact with and appreciation of reality, producing considerable secondary impairment of personality relationships and intellectual functioning' (Stafford-Clarke 1964)
- 1 per cent of the world's population suffers from schizophrenia.
- Type 1: acute type characterised by positive symptoms and better prospects of recovery.
- Type 2: chronic type characterised by negative symptoms and poorer prospects of recovery.
- To be diagnosed with schizophrenia, you must have two or more symptoms for more than 1 monthas well as reduced social functioning.
- Positive Symptoms: additional features to everyday experience, involving an excess or distortion of perceptual functioning.
- Negative Symptoms: lessening or loss of normal functioning, are chronic, as they last beyond acute episodes, and are resistant to medication.
- Chronic Onset Schizophrenia: sufferers become increasingly disturbed through gradual withdrawal and motivational loss over a prolonged period.
- Acute Onset Schizophrenia: symptoms appear suddenly, after a stressful incident.
- Can occur at ages 15-45.
- Passivity experiences and thought disorders: thoughts and actions percieved as under external control.
- Auditory hallucinations: derogotary voices inside their head.
- Primary Delusions: (delusions of grandeur) where they are believe they are of someone of importance e.g. Jesus. (delusions of persecution) where they believe someone is out to get them.
- Though process disorders: wander off point, invent…