Schizophrenia

People with schizophrenia usually have major disturbances in thought, emotion, and behaviour. Schizophrenia is considered to be a psychotic disorder. People with this disorder think in a way that their ideas are not logically related, have defective perception and attention, flat or inappropriate affect, and unusual disturbances in motor activity. They usually stay away from other people and reality and often emerge themselves into delusions and hallucinations. There has been a lot of research done on schizophrenia, but we have not been able to totally understand this mental disorder. However, research on social cognition in schizophrenia has provided us with information that explains why people with this disorder find it challenging to interact with others and to function like others. The findings have helped us to develop new psychosocial and pharmacological treatments that go beyond symptom management and emphasize on social functioning.

References:

Davison, G. C., Blankstein, K. R., Flett, G. L., & Neale, J. S. (2014). Abnormal psychology (5th Canadian ed.). Mississauga, ON: John Wiley and Sons Canada.

Green, M. F., & Horan, W. P. (2010). Social cognition in schizophrenia. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19(4), 243-248