Wize University Psychology Textbook > Psychological Disorders
Schizophrenia & Related Disorders
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Schizophrenia & Related Disorders
Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder that is characterized by psychosis, as well as distortions in perception, thinking, or speech.
The symptoms of schizophrenia can be divided into 2 categories:
Positive symptoms (additions to everyday functioning):
- Delusions - false beliefs and thoughts that persist despite counter-evidence
- Example: thinking that the TV show is talking directly to you, believing that your neighbour has a sinister plan to ruin your life
- Hallucinations - false sensory perceptions that cannot be distinguished from reality
- Example: hearing voices, seeing false visual stimuli
- Disorganized speech - speech that is often incoherent or confusing
Negative symptom (removals from everyday functioning):
- Anhedonia - loss of sense of pleasure
- Flat affect & reduced emotions - limited ability to feel emotions, monotone speech
- Lack of motivation - loss of drive to pursue goals or complete tasks
Watch Out!
"Positive" and "Negative" symptoms do not mean "good" or "bad"! Instead, they refer to things that are present or add to the individual's daily functioning (positive symptoms) or absent or remove from the individual's daily functioning (negative symptoms).
Schizoaffective disorder is a related disorder that is characterized by symptoms of both a mood disorder (depression or mania) and schizophrenia (delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, negative symptoms)
There are two personality disorders that are related to schizophrenia, however they are not forms of schizophrenia!
- Schizoid personality disorder - characterized by social withdrawal, lack of interest in others, and apathy
- Schizotypal personality disorder - characterized by eccentric behaviour or thoughts, magical thinking, and distorted perceptions
Causes of schizophrenia:
- Genetics - evidence suggests a strong genetic component, with your odds of developing schizophrenia being greater if you have a close biological relative with the disorder
- Overactive Dopamine - people with schizophrenia appear to have increased or more sensitive dopamine activity, which may be responsible for their positive symptoms.
- Many antipsychotic drugs treat schizophrenia by reducing dopamine activity. Additionally, some medications for Parkinson's disease, which act by increasing dopamine activity, can result in side effects like hallucinations or delusions
- Brain structure - individuals with schizophrenia appear to have reduced grey matter in the cerebral cortex, as well as enlarged ventricles (brain cavities filled with cerebrospinal fluid)
- Environmental factors - for individuals who are already vulnerable to developing schizophrenia, a highly stressful event or period can catalyze the emergence of symptoms