Schizophrenia: Diagnosis and Classification

SCHIZOPHRENIA

DIAGNOSIS AND CLASSIFICATION

Schizophrenia has no defining characteristic - it is a cluster of symptoms that appear unrelated.

The two major systems for classification of a mental disorder are:

• The World Health Organisation's International Classification of Disease edition 10 (ICD-10)
  • Two or more negative symptoms can diagnose Sz.
• The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual edition 5 (DSM-5)
  • At least one positive symptom must be present.

POSITIVE SYMPTOMS

Additional experiences beyond those of ordinary existence.

• Hallucinations: sensory experiences of stimuli that have either no basis in reality or are distorted perceptions of things that exist.
• Delusions: beliefs that have no basis in reality, for example, that the sufferer is someone else or that they are…