Signs and symptoms of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric illness characterized by:

Positive symptoms refer to hallucinations and delusions.

Hallucinations are experiences in any one of the five senses that are not linked to something happening in the person’s environment.

Delusions are beliefs that are not true. For example, someone may believe that other people are sending messages to them telepathically.

Negative symptoms, the second major group of schizophrenia symptoms, refer to a range of behaviours such as:

This manual focuses on cognitive problems.

People with this illness often have trouble focusing their attention on an activity when distracting things are going on around them.

Examples:

People may have trouble filling out a form while people are talking nearby.
They may also have difficulty staying focused, sometimes for as little as a few minutes.
Memory difficulties are also common.
Remembering everything from verbal and written instructions to completing routine day-to-day tasks can present a tremendous challenge for people with the illness.
Finally, people with schizophrenia often have problems in what we call “executive” functions.

In Supporting a Family Member With Schizophrenia
Signs Download and print signs you can post as reminders to complete tasks. Or use the template to create your own signs.
Forms Download fillable forms, checklists and templates.
Videos Watch CAT strategies in action. Start by watching all the videos, or view clips as you read through the strategies in the manual.
Manual Download or order a copy from the online store. (En français : Soutenir un membre de sa famille atteint de schizophrénie : Des stratégies et des techniques pratiques pour la vie quotidienne).