Schizophrenia and Genetics

According to the DSM-IV schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by deteriorating ability to function in everyday life and by some combination of hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, movement disorder, and inappropriate emotional expressions (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). The symptoms can vary; hallucinations and delusions may be the most problematic symptoms for some people while others may only have clear signs of damage to their brain yet no experience of visual or auditory delusions. What this means then is that many people suffering from schizophrenia may in fact have no commonalities in terms of specific symptoms. Typically, schizophrenia may be diagnosed according to two models: acute or chronic. Acute conditions have a sudden onset with a high probability of successful treatment. Chronic schizophrenia is characterized by a gradual onset and a long-term course of treatment that may be far more difficult to recover from. The term schizophrenia literally translated (from Greek) is "split mind," though it should not be confused with another disorder known as dissociative identity disorder/multiple personality disorder). The use of "split" in this sense means a detachment from reality as often times patients exhibit a distinction between emotional and intellectual aspects of their experiences (Kalat, 2007).

Behavioral Symptoms:

There are two types of classifications of symptoms that characterize a schizophrenic diagnosis. The first type is known as positive, and the second are negative. Positive symptoms indicate behaviors that are present that otherwise would not be; and conversely, negative symptoms indicate behaviors absent that would normally be present. Some negative symptoms of schizophrenia include poor social interaction, lacking emotional expression, troubled speech, and poor memory. Negative symptoms often times are more difficult to treat than positive symptoms.