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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffDiagnosing schizoid personality disorder is usually based on an in-depth interview with your doctor about your symptoms as well as your medical and personal history. Your doctor may perform a physical exam to rule out other conditions that may be causing or contributing to your symptoms. You may also be referred to a mental health professional for further evaluation.
To be diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder, you must meet criteria spelled out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association. Criteria for schizoid personality disorder to be diagnosed include four or more of the following characteristics:
- You neither desire nor enjoy close relationships, including being part of a family
- You almost always choose solitary activities
- You have little, if any, interest in sexual experiences with another person
- You take pleasure in few, if any, activities and rarely experience strong emotions
- You don't have any close friends or confidants other than first-degree relatives
- You seem not to care about praise or criticism
- You seem emotionally cold, detached or unexpressive
For schizoid personality disorder to be diagnosed, doctors may first need to rule out conditions with similar symptoms, such as autism or Asperger's syndrome.
- Schizoid personality disorder. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- Skodol AE, et al. Specific personality disorders. In: Hales RE, et al., eds. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2008. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- Blais MA, et al. Personality and personality disorders. In: Stern TA, et al. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208922830-3/1022719999/1657/387.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-04743-2..50041-X--cesec11_990. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- Silk KR. Personality disorders. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- Cohen P. Child development and personality disorder. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2008;31:477.
- Thylstrup BT, et al. "I am not complaining" — Ambivalence construct in schizoid personality disorder. American Journal of Psychotherapy. 2009;63:147.
- Skodol AE, et al. Positive childhood experiences: Resilience and recovery from personality disorder in early adulthood. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2007;68:1102.
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