Question

Schizophrenia (Abnormal Psychology)

Answer 1

Note: This is a reference for educational/studying purposes, not a question, please save all comments or questions for the end.

Answer 2

\({\bf{Schizoprenia}}\) is a condition in which the sufferer experiences unusual perceptions, thoughts, emotions, and motor abnormalities that interfere with functioning. Experience psychosis (loss of touch with reality)

- about 1/100 people in the world suffer
- increased risk of suicide/physical illnesses
- more common in lower socioeconomic brackets (downward drift theory: schizophrenia is partly caused by the stress of poverty)
- about equally present in men and women

\({\bf{Symptoms}}\)

- positive: (note: positive does not mean "good" in this case) "additions" to a person's thoughts/behavior. ex: delusions, disorganized thought/speech, hallucinations, inappropriate affect
- negative: "subtractions" from a person's thoughts/behaviors. ex: loss of volition/social withdrawal
- psychomotor symptoms: unusual movements

Answer 3

\({\bf{Symptoms~in~Detail}}\)

(+)
delusions: false ideas that are strongly believed
- delusions of reference: attaching special/personal meaning to the events/actions of others
- delusions of grandeur: believe themselves to be much more important, even saviors, than they are
- delusions of control: believe their thoughts/actions are controlled by others

formal thought disorder: noticeable disturbance in thought production/organization
- loose associations: shifting from one topic to another
- neologisms: made up words that only have meaning to the client
- clang: rhyme used to express thought

hallucinations: experiencing sensations like sight or sound w/o actual stimuli
- auditory = most common
- schizophrenics' brains show patterns/activity of the sensation

inappropriate affect: displays of emotion not suited to the situation, ex: laughing during a funeral

(-):
alogia: poverty of speech
restricted affect: showing few emotions
flat affect: showing no emotions
loss of volution: feeling drained/ uninterested in normal activities
social withdrawal

psychomotor:
- catatonic stupor: lack of response to enviornment
-catatonic rigidity: maintaining a rigid upright posture for a long time
-catatonic posturing: maintaining a weird position for a long time
- catatonic excitement: gesturing wildly

Answer 4

type I schizophrenia: more + symptoms than -, linked to biochemical abnormality in brain
type II: schizophrenia: more - than +, linked to structural abnormalities in brain

\({\bf{Factors}}\)

biological explanations:
- seem to be the most empirically supported
- genetics (relative/sibling/twin studies)
- dopamine hypothesis: excess dopamine causes schizophrenic symptoms
- amphetamine abuse has similar symptoms to schizophrenia
- viruses, people w/ schizophrenia more likely to be born during winter when fetal exposure to viruses is higher

psychodynamic explanation:
- cold "schizophrenogenic" mothers who reject their child's needs

cognitive explanations:
- the disorder stems when people try to understand/confront unusual sensations
- after being spurned by family/friends, are convinced that they are persescuted and develop/feed delusions

sociocultural explanations:
- different races are diagnosed at different rates, possible poverty/discrimination issues
- wealthier people more likely to recover from schizophrenia
- misinterpretation of cultural differences as schizophrenic symptoms
- social labelling: self-fulfilling prophecy of schizphrenia
- higher amounts of expressed emotion (criticism/hostility) in family

Answer 5

\({\bf{Treatment}}\)

- historically, treatment was unethical, schizophrenics were institutionalized and treated like animals. attempts to have moral care in state hospitals but unfortunately had staffing/money problems

- mileu therapy: humanistic treatment based on providing an environment of respect, responsibility, and meaningful activity for patients
- antipsychotics/phenothiazenes, neuroleptic drugs; reduce symptoms in 65% of patients, show improvement w/in weeks, but can cause relapse if drug schedule is not taken to completion
- extrapyramidal effects: excess movements as a result of antipsychotic drugs (ex. Parkinsonian symptoms)
- tardive dyskinesia: extrapyramidal movements after taking antipsychotics for a long time
- second generation antipsychotic: more effective than conventional antipsychotics, cause fewer extrapyramidal effects

\({\bf{Psychotherapy}}\)
- CBT: helping clients learn more about how the disorder iss caused, how to deal with hallucinations, such as breathing/relaxation techniques
- mindfulness/ACT: same as usual, accepting problematic thoughts as just thoughts
- famil therapy: helping to reduce expressed emotions
- social therapy: addressing social/personal difficulties in their patient's lives like seeking work/financial assistance, housing, etc.

\({\bf{Community~Care}}\)
- 1963: gov. makes movement to formally de-institutionalize patients and place them in community care where they would receive outpatient/inpatient care
- community mental health centers: medication, psychotherapy, inpatient care for the severely disturbed
- day centers/day hospitals: patients stay in hospital during the day, go home at night
- halfway houses: not full hospitalization but still attended to by paraprofessionals
- sheltered workship: provides occupational training to help schizophrenics get work

Answer 6

\({\bf{Failures~of~Community~Care}}\)

- poor coordination of services between facilities
- care managers: people appointed to facilitate communication between mental health centers/the community
- shortage of services: lack of funding or poor distribution, money goes towards other things besides treatment like income/prescriptions, etc.

- about 34% of those w/ severe mental disorder are not supervised, many can't function alone
- 18% are placed in pivate residences w/ untrained staff
- 8% are placed in treatment program like nursing/rest home
- 1/3 of homeless people have a severe mental disorder

- national interest groups (ex. NAMI) formed have attempted to push for better legislation/staffing of community health centers

Answer 7

Anyway, that's all for this topic, I hope it was of use to you! If you have any questions I will address them to the best of my ability (you may have better luck contacting me on my main account, Vocaloid)

Source: Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, Eighth Edition, Ronald J. Comer