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The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders identifies five types of schizophrenia: paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, undifferentiated, and residual. The American Psychiatric Association is considering removing these types from the next edition due to changing diagnoses. Paranoid schizophrenia involves persistent thoughts of conspiracy or persecution, while disorganized schizophrenia is characterized by a disorganization of thought processes. Catatonic schizophrenia involves periods of severe catatonia, and undifferentiated schizophrenia is diagnosed when a patient’s behavior does not fit the other types. Residual schizophrenia is a secondary diagnosis given after the main symptoms have subsided.
There are five types of schizophrenia; paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, undifferentiated, and residual, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association. Different types of schizophrenia are defined and the diagnosis is based on the most significant schizophrenic symptoms that the patient suffers at the time. Because the symptoms of schizophrenia can change over time, it’s not uncommon for a diagnosis to change in accordance with the symptoms. In part because of these changing diagnoses, the American Psychiatric Association is considering removing all types of schizophrenia from the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
The best known type of schizophrenia is paranoid schizophrenia. As the name suggests, its distinguishing feature is persistent thoughts of conspiracy or persecution. These thoughts usually manifest in auditory hallucinations or voices that reinforce the patient’s beliefs that the world is out to get them. Individuals with paranoid schizophrenia may appear completely normal most of the time, and persecutory delusions may only emerge when under stress or pressure. Many times the symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia can be treated with medication.
While hallucinations and delusions are common for those with paranoid schizophrenia, they are less common for those diagnosed with disorganized schizophrenia. For this type of schizophrenia the most common feature is a disorganization of the thought process. This can manifest itself in memory loss or emotional instability. Many times, the individual will display inappropriate emotions, laughing during times of stress or crying during times of happiness. Her thought processes can become so disorganized and out of sync with reality that attempts to communicate with him or her in a normal way can be completely ineffective. He or she may even lose the ability to speak clearly in some cases.
Catatonic schizophrenics have been known to behave in a way that could almost be described as bipolar. Someone with this form will frequently swing between periods of severe catatonia, in which they are nearly unable to move, and periods in which they won’t stop moving. Often catatonic states involve unusual or even painful body positions which may include unusual limb movements or facial contortions. Catatonic schizophrenia can also manifest itself in echolalia and echopraxia, in which one person imitates what another says or does.
Undifferentiated schizophrenia is usually given as a diagnosis when a patient’s behavior does not fit a diagnosis for the other three types of schizophrenia. Usually this person will move between other various types of schizophrenia, experiencing catatonic symptoms one day and paranoid symptoms the next. A diagnosis of residual schizophrenia is usually a secondary diagnosis given after the main symptoms of schizophrenia have subsided, either due to environmental changes or the prescription of antipsychotics. The diagnosed person may still have symptoms of the disease, but these have greatly diminished, usually to the point that the patient is no longer seen as a threat to themselves or others.
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