Schizophreniform disorder is a mental illness similar to schizophrenia but of shorter duration, affecting about one in 1,000 people. It causes symptoms for one to six months and is usually treated with a combination of psychiatric drugs and psychotherapy. Symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, and strange behavior. The causes of the disorder are unclear, but heredity, environmental factors, or chemical imbalances in the brain may underlie it.
Schizophreniform disorder is a mental illness similar to schizophrenia, but of shorter duration. People with schizophreniform disorder may exhibit many or all of the symptoms of schizophrenia, including hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, and strange behavior. While the causes of schizophreniform disorder remain unclear, heredity, environmental factors, or chemical imbalances in the brain may underlie the disorder. Schizophreniform disorder is relatively common and is usually treated with a combination of psychiatric drugs and psychotherapy. Symptoms typically don’t last more than six months.
While schizophreniform disorder has many of the same symptoms as schizophrenia, schizophrenia is a lifelong psychiatric disorder, whereas schizophreniform disorder causes symptoms for one to six months. Schizophreniform disorder affects about one in 1,000 people. Both men and women are equally susceptible to this mental illness. Men develop schizophreniform symptoms more often between the ages of 18 and 24, while symptoms appear more often in women between the ages of 24 and 35.
The symptoms of this psychiatric illness are similar to those of schizophrenia. Delusions, or false and unrealistic beliefs, are common. Often, patients hold on to their sometimes strange delusions despite being presented with valid evidence to the contrary. Hallucinations can also occur, whether they are auditory, visual or tactile.
People with this disorder may exhibit strange, erratic, or catatonic behaviors. Their speech may not make sense, and they may speak gibberish or jump erratically from one unrelated topic to another as they speak. They may lack energy and seem less expressive of their feelings than they once were. They may withdraw from social contact. People with this disorder often don’t groom themselves properly, and their personal hygiene can decline markedly.
Psychiatrists have yet to fully understand the causes of schizophreniform disorder. Genetics may play a role, and children of parents who have had schizophreniform disorder are more likely to develop it on their own. Environmental factors, including stressful life events or a history of poor socialization, can contribute to the development of this mental illness. An imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain can cause many symptoms. About two-thirds of those who develop schizophreniform disorder eventually develop schizophrenia, a lifelong illness with the same symptoms.
Schizophreniform disorder is usually treated with a combination of medication and therapy. Therapy primarily seeks to educate patients about their disorder and help them cope with the negative emotions the symptoms may cause. Therapy can help patients and their families learn to overcome the obstacles symptoms present to daily life.
Antipsychotic drugs are typically given to treat symptoms of schizophreniform disorder. The most commonly used drugs are Zyprexa®, Risperdal® and Seroquel®.
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