Question

David, aged twenty-three years, was taken to a psychiatrist by the college authorities. He was caught shouting abuses to an imaginary person and running around the college campus believing that he was being chased. On examination, the psychiatrist found David to be extremely guarded and preoccupied with himself. David insisted that the hospital food was poisoned and even said that his grandfather, who had died a year ago, was plotting to hurt him.

1. Identify the psychological disorder that David is suffering from.  [1]
2. Enumerate any three positive symptoms of this psychological disorder.  [3]

Answer 1

(a) David is possibly suffering from schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a severe mental condition that causes errors in thought, perception, emotions, language, sense of self, and behavior. Symptoms may include delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech.

(b) Three positive symptoms of schizophrenia: Positive symptoms indicate excess or distortion of normal functions. They include:

1. Hallucination: They are perceptual experiences without external inputs, typically auditory in character.
   → David shouted insults at an imagined individual, indicating auditory hallucinations.
2. Delusions: Delusions are mistaken beliefs that persist despite substantial evidence to the contrary.
   → David’s paranoid fantasies included believing the hospital food was poisoned and that his deceased grandfather was planning to harm him.
3. Disorganised Behaviour: It refers to incorrect, erratic, or unusual acts that do not align with societal norms.
   → David ran about the college campus, fearing he was being pursued for demonstrating disorganized behavior.