Description Of Schizophrenia Research Articles

Language Use of Patients With Schizophrenia: An Analysis of Sentential Negation

Since the first descriptions of schizophrenia, language disturbances have been referred to as formal thought disorder (Boer et. al, 2020). Within this context in this study we analyzed sentential negation in the speech of the patients with schizophrenia to find out whether psychopathology and thought disorders of the patients affect the language use. 50 patients with schizophrenia and 50 healthy subjects were included into the study. The results showed negative and affirmative sentences used by the patients were significantly different from the control group. We hypothesized that psychopathology of the patients with schizophrenia plays a central role in language use. At the end of the study patients were concluded to reflect their negative thoughts in thier speech and use more negative sentences.

Language Use of Patients With Schizophrenia: An Analysis of Sentential Negation

Since the first descriptions of schizophrenia, language disturbances have been referred to as formal thought disorder (Boer et. al, 2020). Within this context in this study we analyzed sentential negation in the speech of the patients with schizophrenia to find out whether psychopathology and thought disorders of the patients affect the language use. 50 patients with schizophrenia and 50 healthy subjects were included into the study. The results showed negative and affirmative sentences used by the patients were significantly different from the control group. We hypothesized that psychopathology of the patients with schizophrenia plays a central role in language use. At the end of the study patients were concluded to reflect their negative thoughts in thier speech and use more negative sentences.

Schizophrénie et dissociation (Spaltung) dans l’anthropologie phénoménologique de Marc Richir

ObjectivesIn the present article we propose to review the evolution of phenomenologist Marc Richir's conception of schizophrenia through the prism of affectivity and dissociation (Spaltung). Although this concept is not at all new – indeed, already Bleuler has proposed to describe the “group of schizophrenias” with this term – we can nevertheless affirm that it appears in a new light in Richir's phenomenological anthropology. Furthermore, the term of Spaltung is absent on the description of schizophrenia in the DSM-5 and reserved for the dissociative disorders. We argue that this notion can be made fruitful not only in the context of a historical analysis of these troubles, but also in the context of phenomenological psychopathology. Our aim is to show how this concept finds its place in Richir's refoundation of transcendental phenomenology and to reflect on the possible clinical relevance of his conception. This objective is related to a second one, implied by Richir's conception of schizophrenia, and namely that of showing that affective troubles associated with mental health issues should not be conceived of in terms of deficiencies. The Spaltung that we thematize in this paper is not a deficient mode of transcendental or existential structures but characterizes to some extent each and every human existence. Paradoxically, it is in the area of Spaltung that Richir proposes a renewed distinction between the normal and the pathological inspired by phenomenology. MethodIn order to answer these questions, we present a systematic review of Richir's conceptions of Spaltung and schizophrenia from his first works on psychopathology in late 1980s to his latest work presented in his groundwork on psychopathologies Phantasia, imagination, affectivité in 2004. ResultsWe were able to identify three moments of Richir's thought: (1) Firstly Richir's understanding of psychosis is in terms of formation of sense (Sinnbildung) and symbolic institution related to the affective tonality (Stimmung) of the experience in general. He describes formation of sense as an inner division of Stimmung in normal and pathological embodied experience. (2) In the second moment, we focus on a further development of the question of affectivity in intersubjective and embodied relationship. Here Richir analyzes this archaic character in its embodied dimension and more precisely in its intersubjective circulation through what he calls the Phantasieleib, a flesh of phantasy. Through the structures of inter-corpreality, affectivity can even be contagious, pass from the intimacy of one flesh to the other, and it is precisely through this contagion-character of the affective circulation that we can also speak of a peculiar contact with the affectivity of a patient suffering from schizophrenia. (3) Lastly, we pursue the analyses of affectivity and its relation the embodiment and imaginary life by drawing on Richir's main work on psychopathology and phenomenological anthropology: Phantasia, imagination, affectivité. In this, he offers a renewed perspective on dissociation (Spaltung): between an embodied affectivity in the Phantasieleib and delusional affectivity that is not embodied, but makes up what Richir calls a Phantomleib. The Spaltung is thus a dissociation of affectivity of its original embodiment and it is characterized by an “atmopsherisation” that relates it to the pure imaginary that functions autonomously, independently of its phenomenological base in phantasy life. ConclusionThese analyses show that a phenomenological approach to schizophrenia is possible without understanding this latter a deficient mode of human experience. Rather, one has to pass through the field of phenomenological anthropology and the phenomenological analysis of sense formations, phantasy, affectivity. Richir's perspective offer a new comprehensive modelisation of schizophrenic experience and therapeutic relationship that can embrasse both embodied, intersubjective and imaginary dimension of human experience. It could be thus a fruitful heuristic device for translational sciences in psychiatry.

The Hoarding Phenomenon in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

The presence of hoarding behavior among patients with schizophrenia has been known for more than a century. Nevertheless, only a few studies have examined the hoarding phenomenon among patients with schizophrenia, and no studies have examined the potential motivation. Hoarding disorder became a separate diagnosis in DSM-5. Studies about hoarding disorder use primarily quantitative approaches (e.g., scales, self-administered questionnaires, and structured interviews) when assessing the patients. The main objectives of this study were to examine the meaning of hoarding for patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and to explore associated psychopathology which may motivate the hoarding. We have examined 13 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders showing hoarding behavior. The patients underwent semistructured, narrative interviews about the following domains: the time of onset of hoarding, the meaning of hoarding and associated psychopathology, the presence of insight into hoarding, and problematic issues about discarding. The study shows that hoarding begins very early in life for these patients and can be motivated by various psychopathologies. Diminished sense of basic self and transitivistic experiences were mentioned by several patients as motivations for collecting objects. Furthermore, the difficulty with discarding reflected a huge ambivalence and ruminations. Our findings suggest that thorough and comprehensive assessments of people with hoarding symptoms are necessary to assure the correct diagnosis and to understand the patient. An increased knowledge of the patients’ motivations for hoarding behavior may also be useful for the treating personnel and may prevent social adversities. We think it is questionable that in the DSM-5 hoarding is not mentioned in the description of schizophrenia but has been elevated to a separate disorder.

Not Being Oneself: A Critical Perspective on ‘Inauthenticity’ in Schizophrenia

The task of being oneself lies at the heart of human existence and entails the possibility of not being oneself. In the case of schizophrenia, this possibility may come to the fore in a disturbing way. Patients often report that they feel alienated from themselves. Therefore, it is perhaps unsurprising that schizophrenia sometimes has been described with the heideggerian notion of inauthenticity. The aim of this paper is to explore if this description is adequate. We discuss two phenomenological accounts of schizophrenia: Binswanger’s account of schizophrenia as a form of inauthenticity and Blankenburg’s account of schizophrenia as a loss of common sense, which seems construable as a loss of inauthenticity. We argue that the accounts are highlighting aspects of the same underlying phenomenon, viz. schizophrenic autism. Moreover, we argue that Binswanger’s description of schizophrenia as a form of inauthenticity is inadequate and we discuss experiences of self-alienation in schizophrenia.

Características clínico-epidemiológicas de pacientes con esquizofrenia atendidos en el Hospital Psiquiátrico Universitario del Valle, Colombia

Introducción. En Colombia, la esquizofrenia presenta una prevalencia similar a la de otras partes del mundo, de 1 %, lo que permite estimar una población de 471.052 colombianos con esta enfermedad. En regiones como Cali y Bogotá, alcanza el 1,5 %, por encima del promedio mundial.
 Objetivo. Describir el perfil sociodemográfico y clínico de un grupo de pacientes con esquizofrenia, atendidos en el Hospital Psiquiátrico Universitario del Valle, en el período de enero a diciembre de 2012.
 Materiales y métodos. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo y retrospectivo, en el que se revisaron 8.472 historias clínicas de la base de datos de pacientes con diagnóstico de esquizofrenia; se identificaron aquellas que cumplían con los criterios de inclusión y, finalmente, se incluyeron 1.410 historias clínicas.
 Resultados. El 65 % de los pacientes eran hombres y la edad osciló entre los 13 y los 89 años, con un promedio de 40 (DE=31,6). El 89 % eran solteros (IC95% 87,2-90,6 %), el 98 % provenían de la zona urbana (IC95% 97,3-99,4 %) y el 76,6 % residía en la ciudad de Cali. La esquizofrenia indiferenciada fue el diagnóstico más frecuente (81 %), seguida de la paranoide (9 %) y de la de tipo desorganizada (3 %). Los fármacos más prescritos fueron clozapina (18 %), biperideno (15 %) y levomepromazina (14 %).
 Conclusiones. La descripción de la esquizofrenia en el hospital muestra que la mayoría de los pacientes cumplen con el tratamiento farmacológico indicado; la principal razón para no observarlo, lo cual sucede en un bajo porcentaje de los pacientes, es la falta de conciencia de la enfermedad.
 Palabras clave: esquizofrenia, perfil epidemiológico, salud mental.

Illness Perception in Turkish Schizophrenia Patients: A Qualitative Explorative Study

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that is highly complex and not fully understood. Individuals with serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia experience difficulty trying to access mental health services. Few have the opportunity to receive the most optimal evidence-based treatment and only half of those who do actually adhere to the recommended treatment. Understanding what it is like to have this illness would help in our approaches to treatment. In-depth interviews were conducted on nine Turkish patients with schizophrenia in order to explore the illness from the perspective of patients in remission. Five themes emerged from the patients' descriptions of schizophrenia: schizophrenia is a complicated illness, a mystery, a lost life, a dynamic journey towards recovery, and a developmental process of recovery. This study has identified areas of concern about reflecting the patients' perspectives on their experiences thoroughly, which should help improve healthcare provision and guide future research.

Proposals for ICD-11: a report for WPA membership.

Proposals for ICD-11: a report for WPA membership.

Following the development of ICD-11 through World Psychiatry (and other sources).

Following the development of ICD-11 through World Psychiatry (and other sources).

Considering DSM-5: The Personal Experience of Schizophrenia in Relation to the DSM-IV-TR Criteria

Previous analyses have suggested that the personal experience of schizophrenia might be different from its depiction in the DSM-IV-TR. In this study, 17 people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were interviewed about their experiences of the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia. Descriptive phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the ways in which the personal experiences of the people in this study were similar to or different from the depiction of schizophrenia in the DSM-IV-TR. The personal experience of schizophrenia was similar in some way to each of the five diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia. Participants’ personal experiences also went beyond the DSM-IV-TR criteria. Specifically, participants described strong emotional reactions to their symptoms, including fear, sadness, embarrassment, and alienation. Also, participants described intense interest but severe disruptions in goal-directed behavior due to their hallucinations being engrossing, confusing, and distracting. Further, participants described not sharing their experiences in order to avoid social stigma. These findings suggest that the description of schizophrenia in DSM-5 may benefit from a change to DSM-IV-TR criteria to incorporate more of the personal experience of schizophrenia. Further research is needed to establish the representativeness, reliability, and validity of the qualitative findings described here.

Movements in never-medicated schizophrenics: a preliminary study.

Descriptions of schizophrenia dating to the beginning of this century include mention of abnormal movements which are similar to tardive dyskinesia (TD), currently thought to be sequelae of neuroleptic medication. In order to examine the extent to which such movements might appear in the normal course of schizophrenia, we examined a sample of 22 never-medicated DSM-III-R schizophrenics who presented for treatment at a psychiatric center in Casablanca, Morocco. Duration of illness in this sample ranged from 1 to 10 years. Patients were assessed for choreoathetoid movements using the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS). Videotaped and live examinations were rated by the investigators. Three patients (14%) met research diagnostic criteria for probable SD. Mild movements in one body part (AIMS = 2) were seen in an additional five (23%) patients. The movements were characteristic of TD, although their somatic distribution differed from previous studies. Total AIMS score increased with age and duration of illness (r = 0.64, P < 0.01). These findings suggest that choreoathetoid movements may appear spontaneously in patients with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia in India. Epidemiology, Phenomenology, Course and Outcome

Some of the earliest descriptions of schizophrenia have been from India, a country known for its heterogeneity and diversity. Research on schizophrenia in India has largely confined itself to social aspects of the illness, which have been intriguing and stimulating to researchers. This paper primarily focuses itself on certain aspects of social research in schizophrenia, with particular emphasis on the distribution of the disease, its nature, course and outcome. It does not claim to be a comprehensive review of all Indian work in these areas, but indicates the trends which have been observed during the last decade or so.

Did Shakespeare know schizophrenia? The case of Poor Mad Tom in King Lear.

There is doubt whether schizophrenia, the most common and most devastating serious mental illness, existed much more than 200 years ago. Many authors who have written recently on the history of schizophrenia suggest that it is a disease that first appeared towards the end of the eighteenth century and rapidly increased in prevalence throughout the nineteenth. Cooper &amp; Sartorius (1977) ask “Why are good descriptions of what can now be recognized as chronic schizophrenia so scarce in European medieval and earlier literature?” and they associate schizophrenia with industrialisation. Torrey (1980) argues that although descriptions of madness, including hallucinations and delusions, date to ancient times, schizophrenia as we know it with an onset in early adulthood and progressive deterioration, is not described. He associates schizophrenia with civilisation, and proposes an infectious cause. Hare (1979, 1982) supports this hypothesis, providing detailed evidence for a real increase in hospitalised psychiatric patients who most probably had schizophrenia in the last century (Hare, 1983), and also states that there are no good earlier descriptions of schizophrenia.

On the diagnosis of schizophrenia (author's transl)

After a review of terms used in the description of schizophrenia, mainly based on Bleuler's and Kurt Schneider's terminology, attempts to operationalize the diagnosis of schizophrenia are discussed. First rank symptoms according to Kurt Schneider have been most extensively used as criteria. Classification based on these symptoms is, however, subject to certain restrictions from cross-sectional as well as longitudinal points of view. Additional criteria are necessary to describe the whole spectrum of what is called schizophrenia in clinical psychiatry with regard to better therapeutic measures. Symptomatology is also the leading criterion for the diagnosis of schizophrenia in the discussed multidimensional schemes. With an increasing number of criteria the diagnosis of schizophrenia will be confined according to the applied variables.