Schizophrenia: Classification and Diagnosis

Classification and Diagnosis of Schizophrenia:

Schizophrenia is a psychotic illness that is characterised by lack of contact with reality.

There are two main diagnostic manuals used to diagnose mental illnesses:

• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
• International Classification of Diseases (ICD)

The DSM was developed in the USA while the ICD was developed in Europe. Both are currently used in the UK.

There are two types of symptoms for schizophrenia: positive and negative. 

Positive symptoms include:

• Delusions: bizarre beliefs that the schizophrenic holds to be true but are not actually there. These include paranoia…