​Biological Psychology – Symptoms and Diagnosis of Schizophrenia


What are the symptoms of schizophrenia?


Answer:
The symptoms of schizophrenia are divided into positive symptoms and negative symptoms. It is important to be able to identify and clearly distinguish between these two categories.

• Positive symptoms involve the presence of abnormal behaviours or experiences.

• Negative symptoms involve the absence or reduction of normal functioning.

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What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia?


Answer:
Positive symptoms are behaviours or experiences that are added to normal functioning and would not normally be present.


They include:

• Hallucinations

• Delusions

• Thought disorders

• Disorganised speech

• Disorganised or catatonic behaviour

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What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia?


Answer:
Negative symptoms involve the loss or reduction of normal behaviours and emotional functioning.


They include:

• Flattened emotional responses

• Poverty of speech (Alogia)

• Lack of initiative or persistence

• Inability to experience pleasure (Anhedonia)

• Lack of motivation (Avolition)

• Social withdrawal

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What are the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia?


Answer:
To be diagnosed with schizophrenia, an individual must:

• Present with at least two characteristic symptoms.

• Experience social or occupational dysfunction.

• Show symptoms for at least one month before diagnosis.

• Have signs of the disorder present for at least six months.

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What are delusions?


Answer:
Delusions are false beliefs that remain firmly held despite evidence that they are untrue.


Common examples include:

• Persecutory delusions – believing others are trying to harm or persecute them.

• Grandiose delusions – believing they are someone famous, a celebrity, a martyr, or possess extraordinary abilities or importance.

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What are hallucinations?


Answer:
Hallucinations are false sensory experiences that occur without any external stimulus.


In schizophrenia, hallucinations are often:

• Auditory (hearing voices)

• Violent

• Distressing

• Frightening

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What is disorganised speech?


Answer:
Disorganised speech reflects disturbed thinking and difficulty communicating clearly.


It may include:

• Incoherent speech

• Frequent derailment (rapidly changing topics)

• Echolalia (repeating another person’s words)

• Word salad, where unrelated words are joined together without logical meaning

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What is disorganised or catatonic behaviour?


Answer:
Individuals with schizophrenia may display disorganised behaviour, making it difficult to perform normal daily activities.


Some individuals may also experience catatonic behaviour, which may involve:

• Unusual body postures

• Lack of movement

• Extreme agitation

• Unresponsiveness to the environment

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What are the major negative symptoms of schizophrenia?


Answer:


Anhedonia

• Inability to experience pleasure.

• Reduced enjoyment of normally pleasurable activities.

Alogia

• Impoverished speech.

• Limited verbal communication.

Avolition

• Lack of motivation or desire.

• Difficulty initiating or completing everyday tasks.

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How can you differentiate the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia?


Answer (Note Form):


Positive Symptoms (Presence of abnormal behaviours)

• Hallucinations

• Delusions

• Thought disorders

• Disorganised speech

• Disorganised behaviour

• Catatonic behaviour

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Negative Symptoms (Absence of normal functioning)

• Flattened emotional responses

• Alogia (poverty of speech)

• Anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure)

• Avolition (lack of motivation)

• Lack of initiative or persistence

• Social withdrawal

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What are the diagnostic features of schizophrenia?


Answer (Note Form):

• At least two characteristic symptoms must be present.

• Social or occupational functioning must be impaired.

• Symptoms must persist for at least one month.

• Disturbance must continue for at least six months.

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What are the characteristic symptoms required for diagnosis?


Answer (Note Form):

• Delusions

• Persecutory beliefs.

• Grandiose beliefs.

• Hallucinations

• Usually auditory.

• Often violent or distressing.

• Disorganised speech

• Incoherence.

• Frequent derailment.

• Echolalia.

• Word salad.

• Disorganised or catatonic behaviour

• Negative symptoms

• Anhedonia.

• Alogia.

• Avolition.

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Conclusion


Schizophrenia is diagnosed based on the presence of both positive and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms involve the addition of abnormal behaviours, such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganised speech, thought disorders, and catatonic behaviour, whereas negative symptoms involve the loss of normal functioning, including flattened emotions, alogia, anhedonia, avolition, lack of initiative, and social withdrawal. For a diagnosis, an individual must display at least two characteristic symptoms, experience social or occupational impairment, have symptoms present for at least one month, and show evidence of disturbance for a minimum of six months. Understanding the distinction between positive and negative symptoms is essential for accurately recognising and diagnosing schizophrenia.