New Directions for Symptoms and Diagnosis in Schizophrenia

Abstract

Schizophrenia represents one challenging mental disorder from all the psychotic spectrum, considered to be a major health problem worldwide and because of the characteristic symptoms, the diagnosis is associated with high levels of stigmatization. It is quite common that the first acute symptoms to occur in early adult life and cause severe distress not only to the patient in need but also to their families. The schizophrenia clinical picture is usually misunderstood by the general public and consists of positive symptoms, negative symptoms, disorganized speech or behavior during a specific amount of time. In order to establish an accurate diagnosis, it requires taking into consideration both international classification systems, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and The International Classification of diseases (ICD-10), adding a fresh perspective to the newest chapter of ICD-11 called “Schizophrenia or other primary psychotic disorders”, alongside with the diagnosis criteria, other new symptoms such as cognitive impairment emerge as an important feature of schizophrenia.