SCHIZOPHRENIA

SCHIZOPHRENIA is a syndrome or disease process of the brain

causing distorted and bizarre thoughts, perceptions, emotions,
movements, and behavior.

It is usually diagnosed in late adolescence and early adulthood (15 to 25

years for men, 25 to 35 years for women).

Prevalence is 1% of total population, or 3 million in U.S.; same

prevalence throughout world.
HARD OR POSITIVE SOFT OR NEGATIVE
SYMPTOMS SYMPTOMS
are amenable to antipsychotic medication and persist over time and are somewhat amenable
include: to atypical antipsychotics only. They include:

Delusions Flat affect

Hallucinations Lack of volition
Grossly disorganized thinking, speech, and Social withdrawal or discomfort
behavior. Apathy
Alogia
 Types of Schizophrenia
Paranoid Disorganized Catatonic Undifferentiate Residual
d
persecutory or grossly marked mixed at least one
grandiose inappropriate or psychomotor schizophrenic previous psychotic
delusions and flat affect, disturbance, symptoms along episode but not
hallucinations; incoherence, motionless or with disturbances currently; social
sometimes loose associations, excessive motor of thought, affect, withdrawal, flat
excessive extremely activity, behavior affect, loose
religiosity; disorganized extreme associations
hostile and behavior negativism,
aggressive mutism,
behavior peculiarities of
voluntary
movement
(echolalia,
echopraxia)
 Varies among clients
Most clients experience a slow and gradual onset of symptoms.
Younger age of onset associated with poorer outcomes.

In first years after diagnosis, client may have relatively symptom-

free periods between psychotic episode or fairly continuous
psychosis with some shift in severity of symptoms.

Over the long term, psychotic symptoms diminish for most clients
and are managed more easily.
Many years of dysfunction are rarely overcome.
Focus on client’s strengths and time out of the hospital, not just on
symptoms and need for acute care.
No nurse has all the answers