The disorganized kind is marked by confusion and inappropriate or absent emotional reaction with silliness and inappropriate laughter often present. The catatonic type shows gross motor changes, which may involve a stupor or markedly agitated movements. Paranoid schizophrenics develop an organized set of delusional beliefs supported by auditory hallucinations. If the person is schizophrenic but doesn't fit one of those categories, it is called undifferentiated.
In addition, schizophrenia is broken down into Type I and Type II. Type one shows primarily positive symptoms while Type I shows primarily negative symptoms. Type I patients typically have better adjustment prior to onset of the illness than Type II's, and are more likely to improve over time. Type I is also most closely linked to biochemical disturbances while Type II is tied to structural abnormalities in the brain.
Clinical explanations for schizophrenia: Likely that a variety of factors work together including a biological disposition and life circumstances that serve as a trigger.
Biologic view: Growing evidence of a genetic link, and the disease is more common in relatives of those with schizophrenia than in the general population. In identical twins, 47% of the second twin develops schizophrenia if one does; for fraternal twins, it's only 17%. Both are markedly higher than for the general population. It is suspected that neurotransmitters play a role in some cases, while abnormal brain structure may play a role in others. CAT scans...
Some research hints at a possible viral connection. In particular, maternal influenza during pregnancy appears to correalate with increased rates of schizophrenia.
Freudianl view: Freud believed that schizophrenia was caused by regression or efforts of the ego to re-establish control of the personality. Another psychiatrist blamed it on cold, rejecting mothers.
Behavioral view: suggests that some people are better at learning to read social cues than others. Those who get little meaning from them may stop attending to them and instead focus on irrelevant details.
Cognitive view: agrees with the biological view that the person's brain is actually producing the delusions, hallucinations, etc. But when people just developing schizophrenia report their hallucinations, others tell them they aren't there, which causes them to avoid discussing what's happening to them with other people. However, with the right approach, the experiences can be explained to the person so they can be understood.
Family dysfunction: suggests that dysfunctional family patterns can help maintain the schizophrenia even if they don't cause it.
Sociocultural-existential view: views schizophrenia as a normal variant where the person is trying to make sense of a world full of confusion and contradictions. Explains schizophrenia as an inner search - a "reasonable reaction to an unreasonable society" (p. 459).
