Diagnosis and Pathology
True or false: Blood tests, x-rays, and brain scans can show a person has a mental illness.
False.
Why might people get different diagnoses at different times?
1. The symptoms of many psychiatric
disorders (schizophrenia,
schizoaffective disorder, bipolar
disorder, major depression, and
posttraumatic stress disorder)
overlap with each other, and it may
not always be clear which symptoms
are most serious and important.
2. Symptoms can change over time.
Some symptoms may be severe and
problematic at one point in time, but
less severe at another time. Other
symptoms may appear or become
more problematic at a later point in
time. This can lead to a change in
the diagnosis.
3. Schizophrenia-spectrum disorders
and mood disorders are especially
likely to be confused and
misdiagnosed.
What is a relapse?
When symptoms come back or get significantly worse.
True or false: symptoms are specific to one disorder. If you can't focus, it's ADHD - not depression.
False.
Symptoms of each disorder may
overlap. For example, difficulty
sleeping and staying focused are
common symptoms of both PTSD
and depression.
What percentage of people develop schizoaffective disorder?
About one in every two hundred
people (0.5 percent) develops
schizoaffective disorder at some
time in his or her life
Who can diagnose a mental illness?
Usually a medical doctor, but sometimes a nurse, psychologist, or social worker.
Differences between schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and schizoaffective disorder
People with a diagnosis of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders have experienced some psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations or false beliefs, when their mood is normal. People with schizoaffective disorder have experienced serious mood symptoms, such as depression or mania, for a significant period of time. This is the main difference between schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. People with schizophrenia may also experience these mood symptoms, but the symptoms are usually less severe, or have been present for a shorter length of time.
List 3 ways to prevent relapse
Taking medication to help
reduce symptoms
Learning coping strategies for stress
Learning coping strategies for
symptoms
Identifying the early warning
signs of a relapse
Having a plan to respond to early
warning signs of relapse
Building relationships with
supportive people
Learning healthy lifestyle habits
such as a eating a healthy diet
and exercising
Can one trauma cause more than one disorder?
Yes. The same root event or cause may
contribute to developing more than
one disorder. For example, people
who experience a traumatic event are
likely to experience depression, as well
as the disruptions to their nervous
systems that characterize PTSD.
Name at least 3 symptoms of schizophrenia and/or schizoaffective disorder
Visual or auditory hallucinations
Delusions
Thought disorder or confused thinking
Cognitive difficulties
Decline in social functioning
decline in school, work, or parent functioning
disorganized behavior
catatonic behavior
negative symptoms (problems being expressive in communication, problems with experiencing pleasure or enjoyment)
How is a mental illness diagnosed?
A medical doctor, nurse, psychologist, or social worker performs an interview. The interviewer asks questions about symptoms the person may have experienced, how long symptoms were present if they have stopped, and whether they were drinking or using drugs when they had mental health symptoms. The interviewer also asks people how they are functioning in different areas of life, such as relationships, school, or work.
Differences between mood disorders like bipolar disorder or major depression
People with bipolar disorder
experience symptoms of mania
at some point in their lives, or a
somewhat milder form of mania
called “hypomania.”
People with major depression do
not experience manic or hypomanic
symptoms. They only experience
depressive symptoms.
Most people with bipolar disorder
also experience depressive
symptoms at some time in their lives,
but some do not.
People with mood disorders
may also experience psychotic
symptoms when their mood is
depressed or manic. However,
these psychotic symptoms go away
when their mood is normal, unlike
what happens for people with
schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.
Who, with mental illness, is capable of coping with symptoms more effectively and leading a productive, meaningful life?
Erebodayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
What is a potential advantage of partial D2 receptor agonists rather than antagonists in treating schizophrenia?
In schizophrenia, negative symptoms can come from hypofunction of mesocortical dopaminergic signaling. Positive symptoms can come from hyperfunction of mesolimbic dopaminergic signaling. Antagonism in the tuberoinfundibular pathway can disinhibit prolactin release. Antagonism in the nigrostriatal pathway can mimic parkinsons. Partial agonism can increase dopaminergic signaling in the absence of the endogenous ligand, and decrease it when it is excessive. Therefore, it is possible that a partial agonist may restore executive functions while decreasing hallucinations, and not causing tardive dyskinesia or hyperprolactinemia, in some individuals, compared to how they may respond to a D2 antagonist or inverse agonist.
Schizoaffective disorder mood symptoms
Sadness
Eating too much or too little
Feeling tired or having low energy
Thoughts of helplessness, hopelessness, or worthlessness
Feeling guilty for things that aren't your fault
Suicidal thoughts or behaviors
Trouble concentrating and making decisions
What is biological vulnerability?
A biological factor (like genetics/family history) that increases the chance a person will develop a physical or mental health disorder.
When do most mental illnesses develop?
Between late adolescence and middle adulthood (age 17-45)
True or false: people can experience more than one mental illness at the same time
True
What's your favorite movie?
Correct!
Name a famous person with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
JOHN NASH is an American
mathematician who made discoveries
in math that had very important
applications in the field of economics.
He won the Nobel Prize in Economics in
1994. His story is told in A Beautiful Mind,
a book that was also made into a movie.
LIONEL ALDRIDGE was a professional
football player who played a role in two
Super Bowl wins. He played in the NFL
for 11 years for the Green Bay Packers
and the San Diego Chargers.
TOM HARRELL is a musician who has
been named jazz trumpeter of the year
three times by Downbeat magazine and
was nominated for a Grammy award.
He has recorded over 20 CDs.
ELYN SAKS is a professor at the
University of Southern California
Law School and a 2009 recipient of
a MacArthur Foundation fellowship
(sometimes called “the genius grant”).
She wrote about her experiences with
schizophrenia in the book The Center
Cannot Hold.
WILLIAM CHESTER MINOR (1834–1920)
was an American Army surgeon who
had vast knowledge of the English
language and literature. He made major
contributions to the Oxford English
Dictionary, the most comprehensive
dictionary in the world.
VASLAV NIJINSKY (1890–1950) was a
Russian dancer who is legendary because
of his physical strength, light movements,
and expressive body language. He is
especially remembered for a dance piece called “Afternoon of a Faun."
List three stressors that can increase vulnerability to mental illness.
Poverty
Physical or sexual abuse
neglect
exposure to crime and violence
separation from parents
mental abuse
In what ways can mental illnesses affect people differently?
Mental illnesses affect people in
different ways, including how often
they have symptoms, how severe
their symptoms are, and how much
the disorder interferes with their lives.
Symptoms may happen according
to the range shown in the following
descriptions:
Some people have a milder form of
the illness and only have symptoms
a few times in their lives.
Other people have several episodes
and may require hospitalization.
Some people experience symptoms,
but do not have severe episodes that
require hospitalization.
Can one mental health disorder increase risk of another mental health disorder?
Yes. Some disorders increase the
chances of having another disorder.
For example, people with PTSD
often experience difficulties in their
personal relationships, which may
contribute to stress that puts them
at a higher risk for developing
depression.
What percentage of people develop schizophrenia?
About one in every one hundred
people (1 percent) develops
schizophrenia at some time in
his or her life.
What are schizophrenia
and schizoaffective
disorder?
Schizophrenia and schizoaffective
disorder are psychiatric disorders that
affect many people. Both disorders
occur in every country, culture and
racial group, and at every income level.
Schizophrenia and schizoaffective
disorder cause symptoms that can
interfere with many aspects of
people’s lives, especially their work
and social lives.
Schizophrenia and schizoaffective
disorder mainly affect one’s
perceptions and thinking. Some
symptoms make it difficult to know
what’s real and what’s not real. These
symptoms have been described as
being similar to “dreaming when you
are wide awake.” Other symptoms
can cause problems with motivation,
concentration, and experiencing
enjoyment.