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schizophrenia - Coggle Diagram
schizophrenia
Issues and debates
This biological reductionism overlooks psychological, cognitive and social factors that may also contribute to the illness and its expression
Some symptoms (especially hallucinations and delusions) may be interpreted differently across cultures, leading to culture bias
It may also limit treatment options to mainly biological approaches (e.g., medication), reducing focus on holistic care
Categorising schizophrenia into positive and negative symptoms is reductionist, as it simplifies a complex mental disorder into narrow classifications
Positive symptoms
Hallucinations: unusual sensory experiences which can occur in relation to any sense; they can take the form of:
voices talking to, or commenting on, the person, often criticising them
seeing distortions in the environment, e.g. in facial expressions
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The positive symptoms of schizophrenia may cause alarm and distress to both the patient and other people, as they are active manifestations of the illness
It is important to note that the vast majority of people with schizophrenia are not aggressive, and are in fact more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence)
Diagnosis
There is no single definitive test for schizophrenia. Diagnosis relies on clinical assessment of symptoms and their context.
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Negative Symptoms
Speech poverty (alogia): a reduction in the amount and quality of speech, e.g., delayed responses in conversation, limited vocabulary and vagueness
Avolition (sometimes called 'apathy'): finding it difficult to begin or keep up with goal-directed activity, involving sharply reduced motivation to carry out a range of activities; Andreasen (1982) identified three signs:
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