It's a disorder of thoughts, perception,emotion and behaviour.
It is characterized by delusion and hallucination causing social and occupational impairment.
It's a chronic but treatable psychiatric disorder affecting 1% of general population.
It's seen equally in male and females usually in a age group of 15to 30 years though early and late onset psychosis are also seen.
Symptoms :
Frank Psychotic symptoms :
Delusions : these are false illogical and irrational thoughts not keeping with reality and can't be changed even if u try to convince a patient.
Examples of delusions :
Delusion of persecution
Delusion of reference
Delusion of grandiosity.
Delusion of jealousy
Hallucinations :
these are false perceptions in absence of stimulus.
Types :
AUDITORY: : hearing voices.
VISUAL :seeing people ,image or shadow.
TACTILE : Sensations of touch.
OLFACTORY : Sensation of smell.
GUSTATORY : Sensations of taste.
EMOTIONS : emotions are visible in facial expressions called as affect. Affect is blunt in these patients as there is problem with feelings.
BEHAVIOUR : These patients are very aggressive ,abusive and at times assaultive. They may be harmful to themselves or to others.
COGNITION : It is very dull and slow as these patients can't focus as lack concentration and hence their retrieval is affected.They would have poor executive functioning and poor working memory.
NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS:
Flat affect.
Poverty of speech (mute).
Apathy.
Inability to have a pleasure.
Lack of initiative.
TYPES OF SCHIZOPHRENIA :
PARANOID.
DISORGANISED.
CATATONIC.
MIXED.
RESIDUAL.
Schizophrenia requires presence of symptoms for atleast six months.
If less than six months then
0 to 1 month duration: called as brief psychiatric disorders.
1 to 6 month: called as brief Schizophrenia disorders.
BRIEF PSYCHOTIC DISORDER :
DURATION OF SYMPTOMS: 0Day To One Month
DURATION OF SYMPTOMS:one month to six months.
It's a treatable disorder and is not due to black magic.
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