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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffDoctors diagnose personality disorders based on a thorough interview about your symptoms as well as your personal and medical history. A physical examination will help rule out other conditions, and a mental health provider will likely be consulted for further evaluation.
For a diagnosis of schizotypal personality disorder, at least five of the following criteria must be met, according to criteria spelled out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association:
- Incorrect interpretations of events, including a feeling that something innocuous has a direct personal meaning
- Odd beliefs or magical thinking that's inconsistent with cultural norms
- Unusual perceptions, including illusions
- Odd thinking and speech patterns
- Suspicious or paranoid thoughts, such as the belief that someone's "out to get them"
- Flat emotions, appearing aloof and isolated
- Odd, eccentric or peculiar behavior or appearance
- Lack of close friends or confidants other than relatives
- Excessive social anxiety that doesn't diminish with familiarity
In addition, to be diagnosed with schizotypal personality disorder, a person must never have met the criteria for any other schizophrenic disorder.
To distinguish schizotypal personality disorder from schizophrenia, doctors look for the presence of psychosis and experiences with hallucinations or delusions.
- 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.
- Skodol AE, et al. Positive childhood experiences: Resilience and recovery from personality disorder in early adulthood. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2007;68:1102.
- Hall-Flavin DK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
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