TEXT: Psychopathology : Foundations for a Contemporary Understanding by James E. Maddux  and Barbara A. Winstead

Original Question:

For this week's Forum, respond to the following: Distinguish between the positive and negative symptoms associated with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia. What symptoms are key in making the distinction among the diagnoses of Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, and Mood Disorder with Psychotic Features?

Reply to the following response with 200 words minimum. (please make response as if having a conversation, respond directly to some of the statements in below post. This is not providing an analysis of the original post. Respectfully address it and even ask clarifying or additional questions.)

Hello again everyone,

I hope all is well and that everyone is doing good thus far in class. We've only got three more weeks to go. Contrary to what some may first think when hearing positive or negative symptoms of schizophrenia, they are a not a good or bad thing. According to Maddux and Winstead (2012) the distinction between positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia involve an increase or decrease of sorts.

Positive symptoms include and increase or excess of certain behaviors or experiences. Positive symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, and disturbed body movements, (National Institute of Mental Health, 2016). Negative symptoms have a somewhat opposite effect compared to positive symptoms and include a decrease in certain behaviors or experiences.

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia include lack of expression in speaking or facial expressions, decrease in emotions or interest, and lack of motivation or drive in activities, (National Institute of Mental Health, 2016).

Making the distinction between the diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and mood disorder with psychotic features involves recognizing the symptoms mentioned above in addition to more unique or combinations of different symptoms. Being diagnosed with schizophrenia involves display of the negative and positive symptoms mentioned earlier, such as delusions, disrupted body movements, and having a disconnected display of emotions or interest. Schizoaffective disorder can include these symptoms of schizophrenia and some additional symptoms. The additional symptoms are those of a mood disorder such as manic or depressive symptoms (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2017).

The mood disorder symptoms displayed with the symptoms of schizophrenia will determine the type of schizoaffective disorder the person is diagnosed with: bipolar type or depressive type. The distinction of mood disorder with psychotic features seems to lay in when the psychotic symptoms occur, (Maddux and Winstead, 2012). The difference with schizoaffective disorder is that the psychotic symptoms only occur during the instances of mod disorders, such as a depressive or manic episode.

Question to the class: I have seen varying degrees of recommended timelines for diagnosis of different disorders, such as once a week every week for a month, three months, or maybe even six months. Regarding the disorders we are discussing this week how long do you think is sufficient enough to diagnose with each of them?

Robert

References

Maddux, J.E. & Winstead, B.A. (2012). Psychopathology: Foundations for a contemporary understanding (3rd ed.) Routledge.

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2017). Schizoaffective Disorder.

National Institute of Mental Health. (2016). Schizophrenia.