Chase, the schizophrenic patient, exhibits both positive and negative symptoms during the interview. Regarding positive signs, he reveals auditory hallucinations, which are evident when he says that there are people he talks to, but they are now asleep. The scenario means that Chase hears them talk and makes comments in the conversation of the unknown people, thus acting as a third party. He also exhibits delusions because he firmly believes that a first and second party speak as he makes false comments; they do not exist. Concerning the negative symptoms, Chase exhibits alogia, evidenced by his short responses made to the interview when the interviewer informs him that he wants to speak to him. Moreover, he reveals apathy as he is not interested in the conversation with the interviewer. Chase says he has been speaking all day already, which points to disinterest. Asociality is another negative symptom displayed by Chase when he shows disregard for his interviewer, which is interpreted as reduced social interactions.
The interviewer respectfully handled the interviewee; for example, he starts by seeking Chase’s consent before speaking to him. Additionally, he uses open-ended questions, giving Chase a chance to express himself, and, in that way, manages to capture the negative, positive, and any other symptoms expressed. The interviewer also allows Chase enough time to respond without intervening or presenting additional questions, enabling the collection of adequate information.
Interacting with this patient would induce empathy for him because I understand that schizophrenia comes with high social and economic costs, and it is a leading mental disorder that causes chronic disability (An der Heiden et al., 2016). Second, schizophrenic patients have a 50% probability of committing suicide (An der Heiden et al., 2016). All of these issues are happening to a youthful college student who once had a bright future before the disease.
Reference
An der Heiden, W., Leber, A., & Häfner, H. (2016). Negative symptoms and their association with depressive symptoms in the long-term course of schizophrenia. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 266(5), 387-396. Web.