What Is Schizophreniform Disorder?
Schizophreniform disorder is an acute form of schizophrenia. According to the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), schizophreniform disorder is categorized under schizophrenia. The schizophreniform disorder affects the cognitive and mental ability of an individual, and emotional stability including how an individual behaves, acts, expresses. It is common for an individual to suffer from psychosis (a condition wherein an individual has confusion perceiving and processing information, the confusion is with respect to whether the things experienced by the individual are real or not) and schizophreniform disorder at the same time.
Schizophreniform disorder lasts only for a month, or in severe cases, for six months; in case the disorder goes untreated, it might develop complications by transforming into schizophrenia.
Disorders associated with schizophrenia disorder are schizophrenia (in case of increased severity and complicated disorder with symptoms lasting longer than six months) and psychosis (individuals suffering from both have a poor prognosis and increased chances of developing schizophrenia).
The first look of schizophrenia disorder may confuse a health care professional and an individual as it often resembles schizophrenia, delusions, hallucination, or post effects of a substance abuse disorder, and in unlikely rare cases, it may resemble post effects of trauma (contusion or confusion). Psychosis, which is a prominent adjunct of schizophreniform disorder, may develop or transform into (in rare, extreme cases) mood disorders (psychotic), like bipolar disorder, multiple personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, or schizoaffective disorder.
Treatment of schizophreniform disorder depends on the severity of the disease and the underlying diseases. Antipsychotics are often proven to be useful in cases of severe cases of psychosis and schizophreniform disorders.
A major distinguishing factor between schizophreniform disorder and schizophrenia or a relief factor in the case of schizophreniform disorder is that the symptom of schizophreniform does not particularly hinder the daily routine activities of an individual. However, in terms of the rate of occurrence, schizophrenia is far more common than schizophreniform disorder.
What Is the Difference Between Schizophreniform Disorder and Schizophrenia?
Irrespective of how similar these terms look, there is a significant amount of difference between schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder.
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An individual suffering from either schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder has difficulty accepting or conceptualizing reality from fake illusions, hallucinations, or delusions.
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The main difference is the duration of the disease. In the case of schizophrenia, the symptoms often last lifelong; however, with schizophreniform disorder, symptoms tend to disappear past six months (in case the disorder is being treated).
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Another significant difference between schizophreniform disorder and schizophrenia is the treatment protocol. Treatment protocol in the case of schizophreniform disorder is focused on short-term symptomatic relief, whereas, in the case of schizophrenia, the treatment is concentrated on reducing the severity of the symptoms along with diminishing the chances of relapse.
What Causes Schizophreniform Disorder?
Psychotic disorders are deeply attached and affected by genetic disposition and imbalance in brain chemistry. The exact cause of the schizophreniform disorder is yet to be discovered, but some of the probable causes are:
1. Stress.
2. Traumatic events (or trauma causing stress or vice versa).
3. Genetic dysfunction.
4. Positive familial history.
5. Disproportional levels of brain chemicals.
6. Environmental factors.
7. Antisocial behavior.
8. Depression.
What Are the Symptoms of Schizophreniform Disorder?
Symptoms of schizophreniform are broadly divided into four subcategories; the subcategories include:
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Positive Symptoms Includes: Positive symptoms of schizophreniform disorder characteristically include delusions and hallucinations. The severity varies based on the individual’s overall mental health. Individuals experiencing a severe form of positive symptoms encounter loud screaming voices inside their heads.
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Negative Symptoms Includes: Negative symptoms of the schizophreniform disorder include an absence of emotions (or feelings), also known as diminished emotional expression. The features include speaking little or not talking at all and having difficulty completing daily tasks (like brushing, shaving, or bathing). An individual experiencing occurrence of negative symptoms often is asymptomatic or feels normal as these are common side effects of any mental illness.
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Cognitive Symptoms Includes: Cognitive symptoms of schizophreniform disorder includes an irrational, disorderly (chaotic) sense of thinking and speech. Psychosis being a dominating factor in schizophreniform disorder, also makes an individual lose the sense of reality and rarely make sense of their surroundings and themselves.
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General Symptoms Includes: Except for the positive, negative, and cognitive factors, there are general symptoms of schizophreniform disorders. They are:
1. Delusions - Delusion is known as a false belief that indicates an abnormality in the affected person’s thought.
2. Hallucinations - Hallucination is a perception of an object or event that may not exist.
3. Fumbled speech.
4. Strange behavior.
5. Fatigue.
6. Low energy level.
7. Poor hygiene levels.
8. Difficulty concentrating.
9. Withdrawal symptoms (from family, friends, and relatives).
10. Paranoia - Paranoia is a state of mind where a person believes that other people are trying to harm or deceive or exploit them.
11. Mania.
12. Substance abuse disorder.
13. Suicidal tendencies (in complicated, extreme cases).
How to Diagnose Someone Suffering From Schizophreniform Disorder?
Without any prior psychotic illness or symptoms of psychosis, the diagnosis of the schizophreniform disorder and schizophrenia can be confusing to the medical professional, and hence the duration of the symptoms matters. Symptoms of schizophreniform disorder last for less than half a year, and that is a distinguishable factor between the two illnesses. If and when the symptoms last longer than six months, the disorder is no longer under schizophreniform disorder; it is then diagnosed as schizophrenia.
To officially diagnose the schizophreniform disorder, an individual must present with a minimum of two of the following symptoms in a period of a month (or less). The symptoms include:
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Delusion.
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Hallucination.
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Disorganized speech (not able to talk properly or make sense of words).
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Odd behavior.
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Negative symptoms.
What Is the Treatment of Schizophreniform Disorder?
The treatment plan for the schizophreniform disorder is purely symptomatic. Symptomatic relief in a short period of time is essential and a priority to achieve. The treatment plan for schizophreniform disorder includes-
1. Medicinal Therapy: Medicinal therapy is provided in order to provide relief. In case of psychosis, depression, or stress, medicinal therapy has proven to be effective. Different medicinal therapy implemented in order to treat schizophreniform disorder are:
a. Antipsychotics (atypical antipsychotics, to be precise) - Antipsychotics are psychiatric medications prescribed for the management of psychosis.
b. Antidepressants - Antidepressants are medicines given to treat depression and prevent them from recurring.
c. Anxiolytics - Anxiolytics are medications given to treat anxiety symptoms.
2. Psychotherapy: Therapy aims to let the individual talk about their fears, concerns, and the pseudo-reality they live in. Psychotherapy’s main goal is to let the individual feel safe and comfortable while sharing. Different therapies suggested by a licensed psychologist are:
a. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) - Cognitive behavioral therapy is a treatment that helps a person to identify their negative thoughts and behavioral patterns.
b. Family therapy - Family Therapy is a treatment that addresses psychological, emotional and behavioral issues that cause family problems.
c. Individual therapy - Individual therapy is a psychotherapy treatment where one patient is treated by one psychologist.
3. Rehabilitation Therapy: This therapy includes support groups an individual can become part of in order for them to have and experience a safe space to express themselves. A support group can be for both the individual suffering (patient) or the family of the individual in order for them to better understand the disorder and support the individual in whichever way possible, also for them to credit and appreciate themselves.
Conclusion:
Schizophreniform disorder, in its totality, is a scary, unpredictable condition, as the individual suffering has a hard time grasping the reality of the situation. They have a hard time processing their thoughts, actions, and cognitive processes. With this, the ability to comprehend and continue with daily tasks becomes hard for the individuals, and they might succumb to worrying and stressing over their illness.
For an individual to be diagnosed with schizophreniform disorder can be a very scary moment. Schizophreniform disorder is an acute form of schizophrenia. Treating cases of schizophreniform disorder is essential as complicated and extended versions of schizophreniform disorder might develop into schizophrenia, as the symptoms lasting for more than six months no longer fall under the category of the disorder but, however, becomes a full-fledged illness (schizophrenia).
Schizophreniform is a treatable disorder. The crucial part of dealing with any mental illness is asking for help. Individual suffering is not alone and must be made comfortable in asking for help from friends, family, relatives, and healthcare professionals. Therapy plays a vital key in the treatment plan, and follow-up therapy is always the prevention of recurrence of the said disorder.
