Transcript Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia
“split mind”
What is Schizophrenia?
 A complex disorder characterized by
dysfunction of: attention, perception,
thought, emotion and behavior.
Biological/Psychological/Social
1% of general population has schizophrenia
(approximately 1 in 100)
People with schizophrenia have problems
adjusting to demands of reality
Often see or hear things that aren’t there
Misperceive what’s happening around them
Thinking is confused and disoriented (X3)
Have difficulty with interpersonal
relationships
Behavior can be bizarre
Emotions can be blunted or extreme
Symptoms of Schizophrenia (2 or more)
Delusions= Beliefs with no basis in reality
Hallucinations=Vivid sensory experiences with
no basis in reality (vision, hearing, skin, etc.)
Loose associations= One thought (or idea)
doesn’t follow (logically) another. Word Salad
Behavior= strange gestures (match
hallucinations & delusions)
Disorganized speech
Emotion= Flat (catatonic) or inappropriate
emotion and/or social withdrawal
Positive Symptoms
Negative symptoms
These are symptoms that
a person with
schizophrenia has that a
health person does not:
Ex: hallucinations, false
beliefs, etc.
These are symptoms that
a person with
schizophrenia lacks that a
healthy person has:
Ex: flattened affect, social
withdrawal
Schizophrenia
Onset and Course of disease
 Typically begins in early
20’s for males- late 20’s for
females
 Chronic disordersymptoms come and go
 Schizophrenia occurs all
over the world- specific
symptoms differ
Cause of disease (no single
cause)
 Dopamine hypothesis
 Strong genetic influence
(the Genain Quads?)
 Diathesis- Stress Model
 Virus
 Abnormalities in the brain

enlarged ventricles

shrunken hippocampus

Too much dopamine
Treatment for Schizophrenia…
• Antipsychotic drugs
• Social Support
• Vocational training
Treatment
Anti psychotic medication (Some treat
positive symptoms- some treat negative
symptoms)
Traditional Medications: Thorazine, Haldol
(serious side effects: tardive dyskinesia)
Newer Medications: Clozaril, Risperidol,
Zyprexa (fewer side effects, expensive)
Day Treatment
Supervision