Term: Schizophrenia

Glossary Definition

Last Updated: 2016-11-21

Definition:

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by difficulty in distinguishing between real and unreal experiences (delusions and hallucinations), thinking logically, having normal emotional responses to others, and behaving normally in social situations. To obtain a diagnosis of schizophrenia, the symptoms must have been present for at least one month (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

There are several related conditions, including several types of schizophrenia, schizotypal and schizoaffective disorder. Schizotypal disorder is defined as having eccentric behaviour and anomalies of thinking and mood, which resemble those seen in schizophrenia. Schizoaffective disorder is characterized by both symptoms of a mood disorder and schizophrenia (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

For more detailed information including the data sources and applicable ICD diagnosis codes, see the Schizophrenia - Measuring Prevalence concept.

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