Schizophrenia

1
Schizophrenia
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• Clinical description
• Biological explanations
• Psychological explanations

2
Schizophrenia
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• Schizophrenia is not a multiple personality
• A psychotic disorder involving a break with
  reality
• Many different manifestations with a few shared
  features

3
Schizophrenia diagnosis
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• At least two of the following
• Hallucinations (us. auditory or somatic)
• Delusions (oft. linked to hallucinations)
• Disorganised speech
• Disorganised or catatonic behaviour
• Negative symptoms
• Social occupational dysfunction
• Duration of several months

4
Schizophrenia diagnosis
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• Diagnostic subtypes
• Paranoid
• Catatonic
• Disorganised
• Undifferentiated
• Type 1 - Episodic, mainly positive symptoms
• Type 2 - Chronic, mainly negative symptoms

5
Schizophrenia prevalence
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• 1 lifetime risk in general population
• Holds true for most geographical areas although
  rates do vary
• Abnormally high in Southern Ireland, Croatia
  significantly lower rates in Italy, Spain
  (Torrey, 2002)
• Risk factors include low SES, minority ethnicity,
  urban residence

6
Schizophrenia onset
www.psychlotron.org.uk
Source CIHI (2001)
7
Schizophrenia prognosis
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• Rule of the thirds (rule of thumb)
• 1/3 recover more or less completely
• 1/3 episodic impairment
• 1/3 chronic decline
• Confirmed in US UK (Stevens, 1978)
• With treatment about 60 of patients manage a
  relatively normal life
• Prognosis better in non-industrialised societies

8
Schizophrenia explanations
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• Biological
• Genetics
• Neurochemicals hormones
• Structural brain abnormalities
• Psychological
• Family dynamics
• Life stress
• Urbanicity