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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffThere are no laboratory tests for personality disorders, so diagnosis typically comes after a thorough clinical interview. The doctor will ask questions about symptoms and mental well-being, and take a medical, psychiatric and social 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, the person must never have met the criteria for any other schizophrenic disorder. To distinguish schizotypal personality disorder from schizophrenia, the doctor looks for the presence of psychosis and experiences with hallucinations or delusions.
- Skodol AE. Longitudinal course and outcome of personality disorders. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2008;31(3):495-503, viii.
- Skodol AE, et al. Positive childhood experiences: Resilience and recovery from personality disorder in early adulthood. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2007;68(7):1102-1108.
- Pfohl B. Personality disorders. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 12, 2008.
- Schizotypal Personality Disorder. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2000.
- Personality disorders. Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec07/ch105/ch105a.html. Accessed Aug. 1, 2008.
- Hall-Flavin D (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 18, 2008.
