Schizophrenia is a familiar term within the mental health community. While the diagnosis itself is relatively rare when compared to the general community, schizophrenia has become a misconceived and blanket term for a variety of different diagnoses.
In reality there is: schizophrenia, schizoid, schizotypal, schizophreniform, and schizoaffective disorder. Sadly, and all too often, these disorders and their distinct differences are not recognized. So without further ado, here is a <brief> breakdown of the different disorders and their specific diagnoses/symptoms:
Schizophrenia: Easily the most recognized and commonly-used term, schizophrenia is diagnosed when a client has at least 2 of the following symptoms:
Disorganized of catatonic behavior
At least one of the symptoms has to be delusions, hallucinations or disorganized speech. Additonally, schizophrenia is only diagnosed if symptoms have been present for at least six months.
Schizophreniform: Literally the exact same as schizophrenia, however symptoms have been present for less than six months but at least one month.
Schizoaffective: Again, all the same criteria of schizophrenia, except there must also be evidence of an intermittent (it’s not always present) mood disorder. A mood disorder may consist of a major depressive episode, a manic episode, or a mixed episode - in which both depressive and manic symptoms present. The most common example I have seen/used is somebody with symptoms of Bipolar and Schizophrenia (it’s quite a fun combination, as you can imagine).
Schizotypal: This is actually a chronic personality disorder first and foremost. Therefore most of the symptoms affect - you guessed it- the individual’s personality. The official diagnosis criteria include:
Significant impairments in personality functioning as shown by:
Impairments in self functioning:
Identity: Confused boundaries between self and others; distorted self-concept; emotional expression often not congruent with context or internal experience.
Self-direction: Unrealistic or incoherent goals; no clear set of internal standards.
Impairments in interpersonal functioning: i.e. empathy, romantic interest
Pathological personality traits in the following domains:
Psychoticism - eccentric behaviors, cognitive dysregulation, and unusual beliefs or experiences
Detachment - i.e. withdrawal
Negative Affectivity - i.e.anhedonia, “void of emotions”
Schizoid: Once again, a personality disorder. The criteria for this disorder, according the DSM-5 are:
Significant impairments (i.e., mild impairment or greater) in self (identity or self-direction) and interpersonal (empathy or intimacy) functioning.
One or more pathological personality trait domains OR specific trait facets within domains, considering ALL of the following domains.
Detachment - few, if many personal/close relationships
Disinhibition vs. Compulsivity
Psychoticism (explained above)
And of course with just about any and every disorder in the DSM - these symptoms can not be the result of drugs/alcohol/medications, and they must have some sort of impairment on the individual’s social or occupational functioning in order to be a qualifying diagnosis.
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