Residual schizophrenia symptoms, causes and treatment

In the medical field, it is essential relevance. Faced with the great heterogeneity presented by schizophrenic disorders, the need to establish subtypes of schizophrenia according to their clinical manifestations, giving rise to: disorganized, paranoid, catatonic, undifferentiated and residual schizophrenia, was born. In this psychology-online article, we will present the different clinical subtypes of schizophrenia, focusing attention on the Residual Schizophrenia: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment.

1. Types of schizophrenia
2. Residual Schizophrenia: Symptoms
3. Causes of residual schizophrenia
4. Treatment of residual schizophrenia

Types of schizophrenia

The diagnosis of a certain subtype of schizophrenia is established according to the manifest characteristics and the associated predominant symptomatology presented at the current moment of evaluation, so the subtypes can change over time, the same person being able to present different symptoms and change the subtype of schizophrenia throughout the evolution of the disease.

Among the subtypes of schizophrenia we find disorganized, paranoid, catatonic, undifferentiated and residual schizophrenia. According to the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental illnesses (DSM-IV), the characteristics of each of the types of schizophrenia are:

1. Disorganized schizophrenia

In the subtype of disorganized or hebephrenic schizophrenia, the main characteristics of symptomatological presentation are:

• Disorganized language, being able to be accompanied by disconnect behaviors to content, such as nonsense or laughs.
• Behavioral disorganization, which can interfere with the realization of activities of everyday life (dressing, hygiene, preparing food, ...), as well as behaviors such as lack of guidance towards a goal. Flattened or inappropriate affectivity predominates.

2. Paranoid schizophrenia

The diagnosis of the type of paranoid schizophrenia is marked by a high predominance of positive symptoms, with the presence of clear delusional ideas or auditory hallucinations. However, there is a preservation of cognitive and affective capacity, so that there is no presence of negative symptoms of the disease and if they are present, they are not very accused.

3. Catatonic type equizofrenia

The main characteristic of this subtype is based on a marked psychomotor alteration. Being able to manifest:

• Immobility Motor because of catalepsy.
• Excessive motor activity, which may require supervision to avoid damage to oneself or others.
• Peculiarities of involuntary movement, such as the adoption of strange or inappropriate positions.
• Extreme negativism, presented as a resistance towards all orders or in the maintenance of a rigid posture in the face of attempt to be moved or mutism.
• Ecolalia or Ecopraxia

4. Undifferentiated schizophrenia

This type of schizophrenia is established when the patient meets the criteria A of the diagnosis of schizophrenia (delusional ideas, hallucinations, disorganized language, catatonic or disorganized behavior and negative symptoms, such as affective flattening or abulia), but The criteria of the other types are not fulfilled And you cannot establish the diagnosis of paranoid, disorganized or catatonic subtypes as a diagnosis.

5. Residual schizophrenia

This subtype of schizophrenia should be used in the face of the manifestation of at least one episode of schizophrenia, without the existence of positive psychotic symptoms appear in the current clinical picture and if they appear, they do so in a very attenuated way. However, there is a Continuous manifestation of negative symptoms.

Residual Schizophrenia: Symptoms

¿What are the symptoms of residual schizophrenia? This subtype of schizophrenia manifests itself with the Attenuation of positive symptoms referents of schizophrenia and a High presence of negative symptoms. For the correct diagnosis of residual schizophrenia, the following criteria must be met:

1. Absence of delusional ideas, hallucinations, disorganized language and catatonic or severely disorganized behavior. If these present them.
2. Continuous manifestation of negative symptomatology and of alteration. Being able to present:

• Affective flattening. This symptom of residual schizophrenia means the null reaction to emotional stimuli, giving a reduction in the intensity of emotional expression.
• Alogy. Another symptom of residual schizophrenia is speech poverty, including a decrease in discourse fluidity. Language in schizophrenia has many peculiarities.
• Abulia or apathy. That is, lack of will, inability to persist or to initiate an activity. Vacuum feelings may occur.

The course of residual schizophrenia can occur with limited time, representing a transition period between an acute episode and the total remission of the disease. However, its manifestation can persist over the years, with or without acute episodes.

Causes of residual schizophrenia

Although currently an associative concept of schizophrenia has not been established, it is known that there is a high genetic vulnerability, which implies a greater probability of manifesting the disease if a relative has developed it, however it is not an equanimous condition. In addition to the genetic predisposition presented, it is related to the presence of Stressful vital events, that behave a high emotional load. However, none of the causes has proven to be an empirical reality and continues to be investigated in this regard.

On the other hand, the possible causes for the development of a subtype or another of schizophrenia have not been determined. To some extent, it is because the types of schizophrenia can be very labile, being able to present different subtypes during the course of the disease. Therefore, empirically unknown what the causes of residual schizophrenia can be.

Here you can see how schizophrenia is diagnosed.

Treatment of residual schizophrenia

First, it is worth mentioning that schizophrenia is a serious and chronic mental disorder. Therefore, all schizophrenia subtypes require a long -term treatment, being in many cases a treatment that accompanies the person a lifetime, without the need for the presentation of symptoms.

The treatment of this disorder tends to begin with psychiatric discipline, with the antipsychotic drug, which helps control the positive signs and symptoms of the disease. Antidepressants and anxiolytics They are also used for their intervention to alleviate negative symptoms and anxieties generated against disease diagnosis. Even so, the unique work with this discipline does not allow its complete remission, because the most important thing in the treatment is to execute a multi-disciplinary intervention with the different disciplines in mental health (psychiatry, psychology, social assistant, nursing, ...).

After the stabilization of symptoms, with the administration of psychotropic, the person is prepared to start a Psychological treatment combined with pharmacological treatment. Psychological treatment has special relevance to be able to bring a good evolution of the disease.

In the case of residual schizophrenia, psychological treatment will not focus especially on the awareness of the delusional or hallucinatory content, since it does not actively manifest. However, special relevance must be provided to the negative symptomatology presented, such as affective flattening, alogy and apathy. For him psychological treatment From the symptoms of residual schizophrenia, the most used interventions are the following:

1. Psychoeducation

Psychoeducation of the disease is key for both the patient, and for their relatives, in order to provide them with a correct information around the disease, The medications used, the established procedure of therapy, the awareness of the disease, its acceptance and the correct adaptation to this.

2. Individual therapy

Individual therapy with the patient is very important to help identify the presentation of symptomatology, and then establish strategies with the aim of curbing possible relapses. In addition to this, strategies are offered to be able to reduce stress and anxiety associated with disease.

3. Family therapy

In the residual subtype of schizophrenia, the realization of a family therapy is special, since there is a high presence of negative symptoms, which can generate a strong impact on family members. Faced with this, the suffering of the family must be accepted, providing them with the necessary support and providing them with strategies to face this situation.

4. Training in social skills

Faced with the amount of negative symptoms, social skill training technique, a technique of cognitive-communication therapy is very important in residual schizophrenia, for decrease avoidative behaviors and indifference to the environment. The work must be focused on the Emotions identification Own, others and their correct contextualization, social interactions and communication.

5. Daily life activities

Due to the impoverishment and deterioration caused by the disease, an intervention must be carried out that aims to acquire the acquisition of Basic habits of everyday life, Help them find and maintain a job, housing maintenance, etc.

This article is merely informative, in psychology-online we have no power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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