Lexical indicators of anxiety in schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Anxiety is a dominant emotion in schizophrenia. It is most often diagnosed by questionnaire-based methods. In this study, it was decided to analyse the utterances of patients with schizophrenia for the occurrence of lexical indicators of anxiety, which are a good predictor of experienced anxiety and lie beyond the subject's control. DESIGN: The indicators most frequently described in the literature and considered to be of the most significant diagnostic value were selected: first-person pronouns and verbs; causal expressions and conjunctions; affirmative and negative particles; and dogmatic expressions. It was assumed that more of these would appear in the utterances of people with schizophrenia than in the utterances of healthy subjects. METHODS: The study was conducted on 130 patients with paranoid schizophrenia and 130 healthy subjects. They were asked to describe five pictures. RESULTS: In all verbal indicators of anxiety (except for negative particles) patients with positive schizophrenia attained the highest values, differing significantly from the results for the control groups. CONCLUSION: This result is consistent with the subject literature, which emphasizes the high level of anxiety in schizophrenia, especially in its first phase, when the generative symptoms of the illness predominate.

[Primary diagnosis of schizophrenia in the framework of inpatient forensic psychiatric examination]. / Pervichnaya diagnostika shizofrenii v ramkakh statsionarnoi sudebno-psikhiatricheskoi ekspertizy.

OBJECTIVE: To study the primary diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders within the framework of an inpatient forensic psychiatric examination. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 52 accused, who underwent inpatient forensic psychiatric examination at Alexeev Mental Clinic No. 1 in the period 2018-2020, was carried out. Patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 included 39 patients newly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and group 2 consisted of 13patients diagnosed with schizotypal disorder. Diagnosis was based on the ICD-10 criteria (F20 and F21). Clinical and psychopathological method was used as the main research tool. RESULTS: The study group is represented mainly by young people (88.4%, n=46) with secondary (78.8%, n=41), less often higher (21.25, n=11) education, with a decrease in social adaptation and signs of «social drift¼ (90.3%, n=47). Difficulties in diagnosis at the initial stages of an endogenous disease are due to the presence of neurotic disorders that do not affect the nature of social functioning. In group 2, there was a slow increase in personality changes. The commission of unlawful actions by productive-psychopathological mechanisms was observed in 73% of cases (n=38). CONCLUSION: The primary diagnosis of endogenous mental disorders in a forensic situation, carried out during an inpatient forensic psychiatric examination, determines the correctness of the assessment of the level of danger and the choice of compulsory medical measures.

An unusual case of serial poisoning of family members.

The authors present an unusual criminal case of delusionally motivated, serial intrafamilial killings by a psychotic offender. Because the offender retained instrumental rationality and killed his victims by stealth, viz. surreptitious poisoning, the killing of his first victims went undetected. Persecutory delusions of being poisoned not uncommonly result in defensive violence, whereas in this case, religious delusions resulted in the mentally ill person killing others by poisoning them. Here, the psychotic offender killed his victims by means of poisoning based upon motivation driven by religious delusions. This case illustrates the importance of index of suspicion and appropriate investigation of mysterious deaths, and careful forensic psychiatric assessment to distinguish delusional versus extreme overvalued belief-motivated killings in addressing the insanity defense.

"Escrúpulos religiosos extremos" y delirio místico - religioso: entre la devoción cristiana y la psicopatología en Colombia, 1920-1960 / "Extreme religious scruples" or mystical delirium - religious: between christian devotion and psychopathology in Colombia, 1920-1960

OBJETIVO: comprender la semiología del delirio místico-religioso y la incidencia del contenido sociocultural en la configuración de los síntomas en la psicopatología moderna en Colombia, 1920-1960. METODOLOGÍA: investigación histórico-hermenéutica, mediante análisis de una serie de historias clínicas del antiguo Manicomio Departamental de Antioquia y del Asilo Psiquiátrico San Isidro del Valle del Cauca. RESULTADOS: entre las psicopatologías más recurrentes en las que se manifestaron los delirios se encuentra el grupo de las manías, principalmente la intermitente, psicosis maniaco-depresiva y melancolía; seguido por la esquizofrenia paranoide, y también fue frecuente en la psicosis puerperal o posparto; asimismo, se presentó en la parálisis general progresiva (neurosífilis) y en el síndrome cerebral agudo o estado de confusión agudo, nosografía moderna dada al delirio. Según las historias clínicas, la exaltación de ideas religiosas confluye en un delirio polimorfo. Los síntomas más recurrentes fueron las alucinaciones visuales y auditivas, logorrea o locuacidad, insomnio, negativismo alimentario acompañado de miedo a ser envenenado, excitación psicomotora o hiperquinética, accesos de furia controlados con camisa de fuerza y otros medios de contención, intento de suicidio y tendencia a la fuga de la casa, por lo tanto, se consideraba de peligrosidad para sí mismos y para los demás

OBJECTIVE: To understand the semiotics of mystical-religious delirium and the incidence of sociocultural content in the configuration of symptoms in modern psychiatry in Colombia, 1920-1960. METHODOLOGY: hermeneutic historical, research by analysis of a series of case histories of the old Madhouse Department of Antioquia and the Psychiatric Asylum San Isidro del Valle del Cauca. RESULTS: Among the most frequent psychopathologies in which delusions demonstrated is the group of hobbies, mainly intermittent, manic depression and melancholy; followed by paranoid schizophrenia, and was also common in puerperal or postpartum psychosis; He also appeared in general paresis (neurosyphilis) and acute brain syndrome or acute confusional state, delirium given modern nosography. According to medical records, the exaltation of religious ideas comes together in a polymorph delirium. The most frequent symptoms were visual and auditory hallucinations, logorrea or talkativeness, insomnia, accompanied food negativism fear of being poisoned, psychomotor or hyperkinetic excitement, fits of rage controlled straitjacket and other means of containment, attempted suicide and trend the escape of the house, therefore it was considered dangerous to themselves and others

Auditory Verbal Hallucinations in Schizophrenia: Mode of Onset and Disclosure.

Recent reviews on auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) advocate a qualitative and interdisciplinary research that not only is limited to single descriptive features, but also involves contextual issues and co-occurring psychopathology. In this study of mainly readmitted patients with the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and experiencing AVH, we performed a qualitative, phenomenologically oriented interview study. The focus was on the beginning of hallucinatory experiences, time to disclosure of the symptom, and the context surrounding the disclosure. We found that on average the patients experiencing AVH for 6.5 years before disclosing the symptom to a psychiatrist. Moreover, the term "voices" was typically appropriated by the patient during his contact with a psychiatric treatment facility. None of the patients considered themselves as being psychotic or severely mentally ill. The AVH in the majority of the patients was associated with other pathological subjective experiences. The significance of these findings is briefly discussed in relation to the concept of insight, diagnosis of psychosis, and early detection.

Subjective and Objective Characteristics of Patients Seen at a Psychodermatology Unit: One-year Experience in Malmö, Sweden.

Clinical epidemiological knowledge concerning psychodermatology patients is scarce. The objective of this study was to assess morbidity in a new psychodermatology service. Information was gathered from patient records at the psychodermatology unit in Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden, from 1 February 2017 to 31 January 2018. All patients were screened with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) at baseline and after 12 months. Additional information was collated from the patient records. A total of 50 patients were treated during the 12 months, 86% were women, mean age 44 years (standard deviation (SD) 16 years). Itch was present in 72% of patients. Forty-two percent of patients were diagnosed with mood disorders, 30% with personality disorders, and 16% with delusional disorders. At baseline 40% of patients had a DLQI score >11, clinical depression was present in 14%, and clinical anxiety in 28%. These data emphasize the need for access to a multidisciplinary unit for dermatology patients.

Factors related to memory absence and delusional memories in patients in intensive care units managed with light sedation.

OBJECTIVES: Currently, light sedation is typically given to patients in intensive care units and studies have not extensively examined the factors related to absences or abnormalities of their memories. We, therefore, analysed the factors related to the absence/abnormalities of patients' memories in intensive care units. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: A secondary analysis of previously collected survey data examining patients' experiences in an intensive care unit was undertaken (n = 405; women = 38%; median age = 70 years). To observe absent or distorted memories, patients were interviewed after leaving the intensive care unit. We analysed key factors through content analysis of the interviews and field notes. SETTING: The intensive care unit of a university hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Patients' absent or distorted memories after leaving the intensive care unit. RESULTS: Half the patients reported an absence of memories. This was associated with old age and with longer duration of mechanical ventilation. Absent or fragmentary memories were not distressing. Fragmentary and fearful intensive care unit memories were associated with being older. Delusional memories, some of which reflected actual events, were present in 3% of patients. CONCLUSION: Absence of memories were not distressing, delusional memories occurred less and these memories could comprise of an event in ICU that is difficult for patients to understand.

Treating the untreatable? The biopsychosocial treatment of delusional disorder: a case study.

OBJECTIVE: Delusional disorder (DD) is well recognised, but its treatment is controversial. This article presents a case study that highlights the therapeutic benefits associated with assertive biopsychosocial treatment of DD. METHOD: The literature on pharmacological and psychological treatments for DD is briefly reviewed, and a case example from the Queensland Fixated Threat Assessment Centre is given to illustrate a comprehensive biopsychosocial treatment framework. RESULTS: Combined pharmacological and psychosocial intervention resulted in stabilisation and improvement in mental state for the case described. CONCLUSIONS: There is an emergent evidence base for an assertive biopsychosocial approach to treating DD. The case study demonstrates that a range of therapeutic goals is achievable.

Facial Emotion Recognition and Persecutory Ideation in Paranoid Schizophrenia.

The recognition of facial signals has a crucial role in social interaction. It is well known that people suffering from paranoid schizophrenia have problems in the social domain, predominantly related to misinterpreting the intentions, emotions, and actions of others. The aim of this study was to examine whether there are differences in facial emotion recognition between people with paranoid schizophrenia and healthy controls. In addition, we examined the correlation between facial emotion recognition and the expression of persecutory ideation in people suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. The study involved 60 participants, 30 of whom suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls, equalized by gender, age, and education. The following instruments were used: Japanese and Caucasian Facial Expressions of Emotion and Neutral Faces and the Persecutory Ideation Questionnaire. Compared with the controls, people suffering from paranoid schizophrenia were significantly less accurate in recognizing the following emotions: surprise, contempt, sadness, disgust, and emotionally neutral faces. Since the attribution of emotions to emotionally neutral faces is an important finding that could be linked with the social (dis)functionality of people suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, we analyzed and compared the wrong answers given by the two groups and found some differences between them. The results show that persecutory ideation has a statistically significant negative correlation with the successful recognition of emotionally neutral faces. All of the findings lead to the conclusion that paranoid schizophrenia, and within it the existence of persecutory ideation, leads to problems in recognizing the basic facial signals that form the foundation of everyday social interaction.

An Australian study of delusional disorder in late life.

OBJECTIVES: There is a paucity of available research to guide clinical practice in delusional disorder (DD), particularly in late life. This study aimed to evaluate antipsychotic use and treatment outcomes in patients with DD aged 65 years and older. Secondarily, we sought to examine associated clinical features and socio-demographic variables. DESIGN AND SETTING: This descriptive study reviewed all consecutive cases of DD referred to an Australian old age psychiatry service over a 12-year period. Fifty-five patients were assessed in the inpatient and/or community setting, with data verified from a review of all individual medical records. MEASUREMENTS: Data were collected with respect to antipsychotic use, outcomes, and clinical features. Socio-demographic variables of DD cases were compared to a non-matched comparison group (n=278) and an age and gender matched comparison group with a 1:1 ratio (n=55). RESULTS: The predominant type of DD was persecutory (87%). Non-prominent hallucinations were experienced by 18%, and depressive symptoms occurred in 22%. There was a statistically significant association between having DD and social isolation (χ2= 11.04 (DF=1) p<0.001; McNemar's test p<0.001). Atypical antipsychotic medication was prescribed in 32 cases, with follow-up permitted in 51 of the 55 cases (mean duration 36.6 months). Sustained recovery occurred in 20%, and improvement in an additional 35% of the study sample. Four patients subsequently developed dementia, and two developed mild cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical improvement, including sustained recovery, occurred in more than half of those with late life DD. The majority of those who improved (96%) received atypical antipsychotics.

[Capgras symptom associated parricides. 2 case reports]. / Capgras-féle tünettel összefüggo szülogyilkosságok. Két eset bemutatása.

Capgras symptom is characterized by the delusional belief that a person significant to the patient has been replaced by a 'double' or 'impostor'. Capgras symptom was discussed to be associated with violent behavior. We report here the cases of two male patients with schizophrenia paranoid type, where parricide was connected to Capgras delusion. It is important to emphasize that in our observed cases, non-adherence played an essential role in the development of violent behavior, parricide. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(42): 1673-1676.

[The phenomenology of delusions of poisoning in persons with paranoid schizophrenia]. / Die Phänomenologie des Vergiftungswahns bei Menschen mit paranoider Schizophrenie.

GOAL: The aim of the study was to investigate delusions of poisoning in people with paranoid schizophrenia. Specifically, how often delusions of poisoning occur, how the delusional content is represented and to what extent women and men differ in delusions of poisoning were analysed. METHODS & SAMPLE: Data were collected retrospectively from two psychiatric wards in Germany. Base material comprised the medical records of all persons receiving inpatient treatment due to their paranoid schizophrenia between 2010 and 2014 in one of the two psychiatric wards. The sample consisted of 156 people (96 women, 60 men) diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia showing delusions of poisoning. RESULTS: Delusions of poisoning were a common delusional theme which significantly more often occurred in women than in men. Moreover, women were significantly more likely to have delusions of persecution in addition to their delusions of poisoning. Overall, people with delusions of poisoning often reported being poisoned by close relatives or health workers. Most of those affected assumed that poisoning was carried out through medication, food or drinks.

Application of the criminal liability biopsychological criterion in a case of delusional disorder. / Aplicación del criterio biopsicológico de imputabilidad penal en un caso de trastorno delirante.

In this article, the authors report the case of a man who committed the crime of homicide and was evaluated for criminal liability in a psychiatric expert's report. He was diagnosed with delusional disorder and found not guilty. Security measures were applied and he was committed to a high-security psychiatric hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This case presents the correct technique to apply the biopsychological criterion, according to the Brazilian Penal Code.