9990 · 1.1.1
Diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia flashcards
Revision flashcards for Cambridge 9990 Diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia (syllabus 1.1.1). Flip, recall, then mark a real past-paper question.
Card
Positive vs negative symptoms?
Positive: added experiences (hallucinations, delusions, disorganised speech). Negative: deficits (flat affect, avolition, alogia, anhedonia).
Card
DSM-5 schizophrenia duration rule?
Two or more characteristic symptoms for at least one month; continuous signs for at least six months including prodromal/residual phases.
Card
ICD-11 vs DSM-5 on duration?
ICD-11 requires one month of characteristic symptoms; DSM-5 requires six months total disturbance — ICD is slightly narrower on overall duration.
Card
What is avolition?
Reduced motivation to initiate and persist in goal-directed activity — a negative symptom affecting daily functioning.
Card
Rosenhan (1973) and validity?
Pseudopatients admitted to psychiatric hospitals — staff failed to detect sanity, suggesting diagnosis may reflect situational bias rather than genuine symptoms.
Card
Cultural bias in schizophrenia diagnosis?
Hallucinations and beliefs judged 'bizarre' in one culture may be normal in another — Western manuals may pathologise culturally shaped expression.
Card
What is a positive symptom of schizophrenia?
An excess or distortion of normal functioning that adds an experience. Key examples include hallucinations (e.g., hearing voices) and delusions (e.g., beliefs of persecution).
Card
What is a negative symptom of schizophrenia?
A reduction or loss of normal functioning. Key examples include avolition (apathy and lack of motivation) and affective flattening (reduced emotional expression).
Card
State the duration criterion for schizophrenia in DSM-5.
Continuous signs of the disturbance must persist for at least six months. This period must include at least one month of active-phase symptoms (or less if successfully treated).
Card
How did Rosenhan's (1973) study challenge the validity of psychiatric diagnosis?
It showed that sane 'pseudopatients' were diagnosed with schizophrenia and that their subsequent normal behaviours were misinterpreted as symptoms. This demonstrated that psychiatric labels are 'sticky' and that clinicians struggled to distinguish sanity from insanity in a hospital setting.
Card
Explain what is meant by cultural bias in the diagnosis of schizophrenia.
This occurs when clinicians interpret behaviours that are normal within a specific culture as symptoms of a disorder. For example, spiritual beliefs about communicating with ancestors could be misdiagnosed as hallucinations, leading to higher rates of diagnosis in certain ethnic groups.