Summary on lecture Schizophrenia and Psychotic disorder, module Understanding Mental Health, course Psychology. The notes are summarised in preparation for an end of semester MCQ test. I passed the test with 1st (A+).
Definition of Psychosis
• Psychosis is a mental health problem that causes people to perceive or interpret
things differently from those around them. This might involve hallucinations or
delusions.
• Psychosis is a loss of contact with reality.
Delusions and Hallucinations
• Delusions: Faulty interpretation of reality e.g. paranoid delusions- believing others
are trying to harm you, delusions of grandeur- believing you have talents or powers
that you do not have.
• Hallucinations: Sensory experiences without sensory stimulation e.g. visual
hallucinations-seeing things that are not there, auditory hallucinations-hearing
sounds that are not there.
• Delusions and hallucinations are examples of positive symptoms of psychosis.
• Negative symptoms include - flat affect, reduced and slow speech, lack of interest in
people and things.
• Disorganised symptoms include - difficulty looking after themselves, inappropriate
behaviour.
Most common cause of psychosis is…Schizophrenia – affects 1% of population (prevalence).
Epidemiology of Psychosis
• Incidence (new cases) - 32/100,00 per year (Dept. of health policy research, 2012).
• Prevalence- 1-2% of the population will have or have had a psychotic episode.
• Slightly higher in men.
• Onset women late 20’s, men early 20’s or adolescence.
• Onset can be over weeks or even over years and depends on the cause.
• Over 80% of cases of 1st episodes of psychosis will recover if treated.
, Causes of Psychosis and incidence rates
• Schizophrenia- 15/100,000 per year (Dept. of health policy research, 2012) –
Prevalence rate of approx 1%.
• Affective psychosis: 12/100,000 per year (Dept. of health policy research, 2012).
- Depression with psychosis.
- Bipolar disorder.
• Illegal drugs- Amphetamines and Cocaine. Cannabis, hallucinogenic - LSD, Magic
Mushrooms.
• Alcohol- Korsakoff’s psychosis- Memory loss and confabulation
Recognising Psychosis
• Physical Appearance
– Unusual movements of fingers and arms.
– Unusual behaviours in response to hallucinations.
– Unkempt.
– Look confused.
– Blunted affect (mood).
– Slow speech.
Behaviour
– Talking to themselves.
– Social isolation.
– Unable to function adequately in different areas of life: social, school, work,
relationships.
– Insomnia.
– Appetite change- usually poor.
– Disorganised thought/speech/behaviour.
– Inappropriate behaviours.
– Unusually repetitive movements.
Attitude and thoughts
– Anxiety, Depression.
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