TYPICAL SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS IN PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
DISTURBANCES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Consciousness - state of awareness
● Apperception: perception modified by one's own thoughts and emotions
● Sensorium: (sometimes used as another term for consciousness refers to the state of
functioning of the special senses)
1. Disorientation - disturbed orientation regarding time, place, or person
2. Delirium - patient exhibits confusion, restlessness, bewilderment, and a disoriented
reaction that is usually associated with hallucinations and fear
3. Clouding of consciousness - a state of perceptual and cognitive confusion
4. Stupor - a general condition wherein the patient exhibits extreme unresponsiveness and
loss of orientation to the environment.
5. Twilight state - a disturbance in consciousness, with hallucinations
6. Dreamlike state - another term for psychomotor epilepsy or complex partial seizure.
7. Somnolence - abnormal drowsiness, usually displayed in organic processes.
8. Coma vigil (akinetic mutism) - patient appears to be sleeping but is aroused easily.
9. Coma - profound level of consciousness, abnormal state of deep stupor that is
accompanied by a total loss of consciousness, loss of voluntary behavior and some
reflexes
DISTURBANCES OF ATTENTION
Attention - selective aspects of perception; quantity of effort given to focusing on parts of an
experience; ability to concentrate
1. Distractibility - the inability to concentrate or focus attention because patient is easily
drawn to irrelevant external stimuli
2. Selective attention - blocking out of anxiety-causing stimuli
3. Hyper vigilance - excessive focus and attention is given to all internal and external
stimuli due to paranoia.
DISTURBANCES IN SUGGESTIBILITY
Suggestibility- uncritical and compliant response to influence or an idea
1. Folie a deux (or folie a trois) - emotional/mental illness shared between two (or three
persons) also called shared psychosis between two.
, 2. Hypnosis - artificially induced consciousness characterized by heightened suggestibility.
DISTURBANCES IN EMOTION
Emotion - a complex feeling or state related to mood and affect with psychic, somatic, and
behavioral components.
Affect - the expression or outward manifestation of emotion observable to others.
1. Appropriate affect - a normal condition wherein emotional tone is in harmony or is
consistent with the accompanying thought,idea, or speech. It is also described as broad
or full affect wherein full range of emotions is appropriately expressed
2. Inappropriate affect - inconsistency between the emotional tone and the idea, thought
or speech accompanying it.
3. Blunted affect - characterized by a severe reduction in the intensity of the externalized
feeling tone.
4. Restricted or constricted affect - reduction in the intensity of feeling tone. It is less
severe than the blunted affect.
5. Flat affect- the absence or near absence of any signs of affective expression. It can be
characterized by an immobile face and a monotonous voice
6. Labile affect - rapid and abrupt changes in the emotional feeling tone which is unrelated
to external stimuli.
Mood - the sustained and pervasive emotion subjectively experienced and reported by the
patient and is observable to others.
1. Dysphoric Mood - unpleasant mood
2. Euthymic Mood - normal range of mood
3. Expansive Mood - the expression of one's feelings without anv restraint. It is frequently
and overestimation of one's significance or importance
4. Irritable Mood - the person is easily provoked to anger and is easily / annoyed.
5. Mood Swings - (labile mood) - moving between euphoria and depression or anxiety.
6. Elevated Mood - characterized by an air of enjoyment and confidence. A mood which is
more cheerful than normal but is not considered pathological
7. Euphoria -intense elation with feelings of grandeur,
8. Ecstasy - feeling of intense rapture or delight
9. Depression - the psychopathological feeling of sadness
DISTURBANCES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Consciousness - state of awareness
● Apperception: perception modified by one's own thoughts and emotions
● Sensorium: (sometimes used as another term for consciousness refers to the state of
functioning of the special senses)
1. Disorientation - disturbed orientation regarding time, place, or person
2. Delirium - patient exhibits confusion, restlessness, bewilderment, and a disoriented
reaction that is usually associated with hallucinations and fear
3. Clouding of consciousness - a state of perceptual and cognitive confusion
4. Stupor - a general condition wherein the patient exhibits extreme unresponsiveness and
loss of orientation to the environment.
5. Twilight state - a disturbance in consciousness, with hallucinations
6. Dreamlike state - another term for psychomotor epilepsy or complex partial seizure.
7. Somnolence - abnormal drowsiness, usually displayed in organic processes.
8. Coma vigil (akinetic mutism) - patient appears to be sleeping but is aroused easily.
9. Coma - profound level of consciousness, abnormal state of deep stupor that is
accompanied by a total loss of consciousness, loss of voluntary behavior and some
reflexes
DISTURBANCES OF ATTENTION
Attention - selective aspects of perception; quantity of effort given to focusing on parts of an
experience; ability to concentrate
1. Distractibility - the inability to concentrate or focus attention because patient is easily
drawn to irrelevant external stimuli
2. Selective attention - blocking out of anxiety-causing stimuli
3. Hyper vigilance - excessive focus and attention is given to all internal and external
stimuli due to paranoia.
DISTURBANCES IN SUGGESTIBILITY
Suggestibility- uncritical and compliant response to influence or an idea
1. Folie a deux (or folie a trois) - emotional/mental illness shared between two (or three
persons) also called shared psychosis between two.
, 2. Hypnosis - artificially induced consciousness characterized by heightened suggestibility.
DISTURBANCES IN EMOTION
Emotion - a complex feeling or state related to mood and affect with psychic, somatic, and
behavioral components.
Affect - the expression or outward manifestation of emotion observable to others.
1. Appropriate affect - a normal condition wherein emotional tone is in harmony or is
consistent with the accompanying thought,idea, or speech. It is also described as broad
or full affect wherein full range of emotions is appropriately expressed
2. Inappropriate affect - inconsistency between the emotional tone and the idea, thought
or speech accompanying it.
3. Blunted affect - characterized by a severe reduction in the intensity of the externalized
feeling tone.
4. Restricted or constricted affect - reduction in the intensity of feeling tone. It is less
severe than the blunted affect.
5. Flat affect- the absence or near absence of any signs of affective expression. It can be
characterized by an immobile face and a monotonous voice
6. Labile affect - rapid and abrupt changes in the emotional feeling tone which is unrelated
to external stimuli.
Mood - the sustained and pervasive emotion subjectively experienced and reported by the
patient and is observable to others.
1. Dysphoric Mood - unpleasant mood
2. Euthymic Mood - normal range of mood
3. Expansive Mood - the expression of one's feelings without anv restraint. It is frequently
and overestimation of one's significance or importance
4. Irritable Mood - the person is easily provoked to anger and is easily / annoyed.
5. Mood Swings - (labile mood) - moving between euphoria and depression or anxiety.
6. Elevated Mood - characterized by an air of enjoyment and confidence. A mood which is
more cheerful than normal but is not considered pathological
7. Euphoria -intense elation with feelings of grandeur,
8. Ecstasy - feeling of intense rapture or delight
9. Depression - the psychopathological feeling of sadness
