Undifferentiated schizophrenia is characterized by general symptoms of schizophrenia that do not fit a specific classification or diagnosis of another subtype. People may exhibit the traditional “positive” and “negative” symptoms, but they may fluctuate over a period of time. This type of schizophrenia can be particularly challenging to diagnose with confidence because someone needs to …
Residual schizophrenia is one of the 5 types of schizophrenia that is characterized by a long-term history of negative symptoms (i.e. psychomotor slowing), with very infrequent or rare occurrences of positive symptoms. To meet the criteria for diagnosis, the person must have experienced positive symptoms (e.g. hallucinations/delusions/etc.) at some point. With that said, the person …
Disorganized schizophrenia (also called “hebephrenia”) is one of the 5 main types of schizophrenia. It is characterized by symptoms of extreme disorganization and typically develops between 15 and 25 years of age. The term “hebephrenia” is Greek for “adolescence” and refers to the fact that this subtype of schizophrenia typically has an adolescent onset. Primary …
Paranoid schizophrenia is one of the 5 main subtypes of schizophrenia characterized by an intense paranoia which is often accompanied by delusions and hallucinations. Most people with paranoid schizophrenia have auditory hallucinations (i.e. they hear voices) and may experience delusions that people are “plotting” against them. For example, someone with this illness may believe that …
Catatonic schizophrenia is one of 5 main subtypes of schizophrenia that is characterized by behavior at extreme opposite ends of the spectrum. At one end of the spectrum, the person may be unable to speak, move, or respond – they are stuck in a “catatonic stupor.” On the other end of the spectrum, the person …
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness characterized by both positive and negative symptoms. In addition to the traditional positive symptoms like hallucinations and negative symptoms like emotional withdrawal, there are profound cognitive symptoms. It was originally thought that cognitive deficits were only found in elderly individuals with schizophrenia. However, much research has found that impaired …
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that is characterized by hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. Although most people think of “hearing voices” and associate them with schizophrenia, those are just some of the symptoms. The symptoms experienced are divided into two subtypes including “negative” symptoms and “positive” symptoms. Negative symptoms usually involve subtracting something from the …