Schizophrenia is characterised by a profound disruption of cognition and emotion, which affects a person’s language, thought, perception and sense of self.
Schneider (1959) identified the first rank symptoms of Schizophrenia. These are now called Type 1 symptoms and are positive symptoms. This means that they add to a person’s behaviour. These symptoms are not observable and rely on a patient’s report of them to be identified.
- Thought disturbances – Thought withdrawal, thought insertion and thought broadcasting by an external force.
- Hallucinations – Auditory hallucinations and command hallucinations, visual hallucinations, tactile/somatosensory hallucinations.
- Delusions – Grandeur and paranoia.
Slater and Roth identified Type 2 symptoms of schizophrenia. These are negative symptoms which means that they take something away from a person’s behaviour. These symptoms are directly observable and so do not rely on a subjective report from the patient to be identified. Instead, they rely on the objective interpretation of the doctor.
- Thought process disorder – Cognitive deficits/dysfunction.
E.g. Selective attention.
Sensory overload.
Attention deficit.
Loose association of thoughts.
Speech Impoverishment “word salad”.
Clang associations.
Neologisms.
- Disturbances of affect. (Emotions and Feelings)
- Blunted affect – emotional insensitivity.
- Inappropriate affect – undesirable reactions.
- Psychomotor disturbances – catatonic behaviour and agitated catatonia.
- Lack of Volition – avolition.
- Aimless/purposeless behaviour.
- Lack of interest and fun/pleasure. – This can lead to social disengagement causing the person to become unsociable.