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Schizophrenia - disorganized type

Definition

Disorganized schizophrenia is a type of schizophrenia in which behavior is disturbed and has no purpose.

Alternative Names

Hebephrenic schizophrenia; Disorganized schizophrenia

Causes

The cause is unknown. This type of schizophrenia usually begins before age 25.

Symptoms

  • Active behavior, but in an aimless and not constructive way
  • Bizarre and inappropriate emotional responses
  • Difficulty feeling pleasure
  • False, fixed beliefs (delusions)
  • Lack of motivation
  • Seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations)
  • Strange or silly behavior
  • Speech that makes no sense

Some of these symptoms are also seen in other types of schizophrenia. The main difference is that in disorganized schizophrenia, there is a lot of strange, aimless behavior and often speech that does not make sense.

See: Schizophrenia for a more complete description of schizophrenia and its treatment.

References

Freudenreich O, Weiss AP, Goff DC. Psychosis and schizophrenia. In: Stern TA, Rosenbaum JF, Fava M, Biederman J, Rauch SL, eds. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. 1st ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier;2008:chap 28.

Review Date: 2/7/2010
Reviewed By: David B. Merrill, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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