Schizophrenia - diagnosis

Diagnosis remains CLINICAL

- mental health professional must consider:

- personal history including relationships, occupational history, past psychiatric history, substance abuse;

- family history;

- mental status exam;

- medical work-up, if appropriate.

- Preferably, a patient should be observed over a period of months to years before a diagnosis is made.

DSM-IV criteria:

You must have at least 2 of several symptoms over a 1 month period (less if treated):

- delusions,

- hallucinations,

- disorganized speech,

- grossly disorganized behavior or catatonia, or

- negative symptoms.

Q: Can an experienced mental health worker distiyounguish between schizophrenia and other illnesses?

A: NO.

- studies indicate the ability to diagnosis schizophrenia from a single interview (without a past history and family history) is no better than chance.

Is there a blood test for schizophrenia?

- No. It remains a clinical diagnosis.