A nurse is providing care for a client who has schizophrenia. The client is unemployed and unhoused. Which of the following concepts regarding themselves should the nurse be aware of?

A. A lack of emotions, also known as flat affect or emotional blunting, is a common negative symptom of schizophrenia. It refers to a reduced range or intensity of emotional expression, such as reduced facial expressions, tone of voice, or gestures.

B. Paranoia is not a negative symptom but rather a positive symptom of schizophrenia.

C. Confusion may occur in schizophrenia, but it is not specific to negative symptoms. Confusion can be a result of various factors, including medication side effects, acute psychosis, or cognitive deficits.

D. Distorted beliefs, such as delusions, are considered positive symptoms rather than negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

B Illness anxiety disorder (formerly known as hypochondriasis) is a mental health condition characterized by excessive worry or fear about having a serious illness, despite having little or no medical evidence to support the presence of the illness.

A. The focus in somatic symptom disorder is on the physical symptoms themselves rather than the fear of having a serious illness.

C. Individuals with factitious disorder may feign symptoms, manipulate test results, or induce illness in themselves to gain attention or care from healthcare providers.

D. The primary characteristic of functional neurological symptom disorder is the presence of neurological symptoms rather than excessive fear of illness or body checking behaviors.