Treating Schizophrenia: The role of psychological therapies

Schizophrenia Symptoms (150):

Disconnected from family/ out of touch with reality. Symptoms of psychosis. Altered behavioural
patterns – change in normal acticity. Symptoms come and go.

Symptoms of schizophrenia are categorized as one of three types: positive (psychotic) symptoms,
negative symptoms, and cognitive symptoms. Symptoms of schizophrenia are categorized as one of
three types: positive (psychotic) symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive symptoms.

Positive (psychotic) symptoms: Behaviours and experiences healthy people would not have.

Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behaviour (inappropriate behave –

clothes in shower, laughing when nothing is humorous), catatonic behav – strange postures; freezing
randomly

Negative Symptoms: Normal traits that are reduced or absent in the affected (ill).

Flattened effect – emotionless, limited expression, little response emotional or disturbing situations
or images.

Anhedonia - no more pleasure in the thing they used to enjoy.

Reduced Speech

Avolition – No initiative

Cognitive Symptoms: The way in which a person thinks. These are not used to diagnose however
these are a number of symptoms that are commonly associated with schizophrenia and can be used
to help identify and support the presence of schizophrenia.

Inability to focus attention / concentrate i.e. space out

Memory problems – schizophrenia often affects working memory – used for active processing e.g.
remembering digits of the number you are about to dial.

Difficulties planning and structuring activities - Caused by reduced executive control - mental process
that allows us to identify the steps needed to complete a task and then execute them in a proper
order. Executive control also allows us to suppress our response to distractions in order to get
something done.

Lack of insight – can’t comprehend and understand that they are ill
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR). Washington, DC:
American Psychiatric Association, 2000.

Morrison, J. DSM-IV Made Easy: the Clinician’s Guide to Diagnosis. New York: The Guilford Press, 2006.

Schizophrenia: a detailed booklet that describes symptoms, causes, and treatments, with information on getting help and coping. National Institutes of Mental
Health. (2006) http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/schizophrenia/summary.shtml

Diagnosis (150):

Changes in behaviour and mood may have to do with an ailment or physical affliction – thus a full
medical check up needs to be carried out to ensure that it is not due to an ailment or a drug intake.
Usually the period of time is 1 month caution period throughout which the patient is assessed.
Symptoms of psychosis are possible and may not necessarily indicative of schizophrenia.

Current drug approach to treatment (200 – 300):

Role of psychological therapies in managing schizophrenia (700 – 900):

Conclusion (summary of essay) (200 -300):