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- Diagnosis
Differential diagnosis
Other illnesses must be ruled out before a diagnosis of schizophrenia can be established. These include schizoaffective and mood disorders, substance-induced or general medical conditions, and pervasive developmental disorders.[1]
Schizoaffective/mood disorders
Schizoaffective disorders and mood disorders with psychotic features are ruled out either because no major depressive, manic, or mixed episodes have occurred concurrently with the active-phase symptoms; or because when mood episodes have occurred during active-phase symptoms, their total duration has been brief relative to the duration of the active and residual periods.
General medical condition
General medical disorders can be ruled out if the disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (eg drug abuse or medication) or an underlying medical condition.
Pervasive developmental disorders
If a patient has a history of a pervasive developmental disorder such as autistic disorder, the additional diagnosis of schizophrenia is made only if prominent delusions or hallucinations are also present for at least a month.
Reference
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000.
