Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia

What is an example of a positive symptom of schizophrenia?

A. Jamal is experiencing hallucinations

B. Jamal is experiencing poverty of speech

C. Jamal is experiencing flat affect

D. Jamal is having difficulty making decisions and completing tasks

E. Jamal is experiencing increased energy

Answer:

Positive symptoms of schizophrenia are experiences not common in most individuals but found in those with schizophrenia. These include hallucinations, disorganized speech or behavior. Therefore, when Jamal experiences hallucinations, it is a positive symptom of schizophrenia.

In the context of schizophrenia, positive and negative symptoms are terms used to describe different types of experiences. Positive symptoms are those that most individuals do not normally experience but are present in people with schizophrenia. They include but are not limited to hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech or behavior. On the contrary, negative symptoms refer to reductions of normal emotional and behavioral states. These include flat affect (reduced emotional expression), poverty of speech, and difficulty in completing tasks.

Given these classifications, if Jamal is experiencing hallucinations, it would be considered a positive symptom of schizophrenia.