PART C

Schizophrenia

Video:  Schizophrenia and Dissociative Disorder

Video:  This video depicts a simulation of a psychotic episode as described by schizophrenics.

Schizophrenia, one of the psychotic disorders, is a chronic (long-lasting) mental illness that is difficult to define and easily misunderstood. Although specific symptoms may vary widely, people with schizophrenia have difficulty recognizing reality, thinking logically, and behaving normally in social situations. The symptoms of schizophrenia can be divided into three categories: positive, disorganized, and negative.

Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Positive, in this context, does not mean “good” – positive means having symptoms that should not be present in a normal individual. Positive symptoms include delusions and hallucinations.

Disorganized Symptoms of Schizophrenia
These symptoms include confused thinking and speech. For example, individuals with schizophrenia sometimes have trouble communicating in coherent sentences or participating in conversations with others. Sometimes the person will change the topic midway through a sentence. Symptoms also consist of behaviour that does not make sense to normal individuals. Patients may move very slowly, walk in circles, pace, and repeat rhythmic gestures.

Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia
The term “negative” does not refer to the attitude of the patient – it refers to a lack of characteristics in an individual that should normally be present. Such symptoms include emotional flatness (lack of expression), an inability to start and/or follow through with activities, speech that is brief and lacks content, and a lack of pleasure or interest in life. Other symptoms may include social withdrawal, reduced energy and motivation, and poor hygiene and grooming habits.

Schizophrenia is also associated with changes in cognition. Afflicted individuals have problems with planning and remembering goals. They also have problems with attention, motivation, and mood (people with schizophrenia are often depressed). Schizophrenia can be grouped into three major categories (disorganized, catatonic, paranoid) and two minor categories (undifferentiated, residual). Please view Table 5.1 below.

Table 5.1:
Categories Of Schizophrenia

Symptom
Description
Disorganized Previously known as hebephrenic schizophrenia, disorganized schizophrenia is characterized by a lack of emotion and disorganized speech. Individuals may display regressive behaviour, inappropriate laughter, repetitive mannerisms, social withdrawal, and flat affect.
Catatonic Individuals suffering from this form of schizophrenia may have either reduced movement and rigid posture, or too much movement. They may also have a decrease in the ability to take care of personal needs and/or a decreased sensitivity to painful stimuli. When displaying rigid posture, affected individuals may become fixed in a single position for a long period of time.
Paranoid People suffering from this form of schizophrenia may suffer from very strong delusions and/or hallucinations. Individuals may also be anxious, angry, and argumentative.
Undifferentiated Individuals in this category have symptoms from each of the three categories above.
Residual Many symptoms of schizophrenia have decreased in individuals with residual schizophrenia, but some symptoms, such as flat affect and hallucinations, may remain.

Video:  Laura's experience with schizophrenia


Other Facts about Schizophrenia
As noted previously, symptoms of schizophrenia vary widely. Sometimes unaffected individuals may display schizophrenic symptoms and sometimes individuals with schizophrenia act rather “normally.” Following are a few general facts compiled by the Harvard School of Public Health on behalf of the World Health Organization and the World Bank, Harvard University Press, 1996.

- Typical onset of schizophrenia occurs before the age of 45: while men and women are equally affected, the disorder often appears earlier in men (late teens or early twenties) and later in women (late twenties to early thirties).

- Approximately 1 percent of the population develops schizophrenia during their lifetime - the speech of schizophrenics can be so disorganized that they may be incomprehensible or frightening to others.

- Available treatments can relieve many symptoms, but most people with schizophrenia continue to suffer some symptoms throughout their lives. It has been estimated that no more than one in five individuals recovers completely.

- The onset of schizophrenia is very rare for people under 10 years of age or over 40 years of age.

- The earlier that schizophrenia is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome of the person and the greater the likelihood of recovery.

- Schizophrenia occurs in all societies at about the same rate, regardless of class, colour, religion, or culture.

- Schizophrenia ranks among the top 10 causes of disability in developed countries worldwide.

Read more about schizophrenia at the web site below:

Teen Mental Health

http://teenmentalhealth.org/learn/mental-disorders/schizophrenia/