Schizotypal personality disorder is a chronic condition that appears in late adolescence or early adulthood. It is characterized by profound discomfort with social relationships, eccentric behavior, cognitive distortions and bizarre thoughts.
Definition: what is schizotypal personality disorder?
“Schizotypal personality disorder is a personality disorder characterized by bizarre or strange thoughts and behaviors“, explains Guillaume Fond, psychiatrist, teacher at the faculty of Aix-Marseille, researcher, lecturer and author. Schizotypal disorder is also characterized by a great difficulty, embarrassment and reduced ability to establish and maintain interpersonal relationships.
What are the symptoms of schizotypal personality disorder?
“LSymptoms include delusions, hallucinations, magical beliefs, unusual social or emotional behaviors, and distorted thinking“, specifies Guillaume Fond. He adds: “It is important to note that people with this disorder may have difficulties in maintaining social and professional relationships due to their strange and unusual behavior“. According to the ICD-11 – the international classification of diseases established by the WHO, “symptoms may include a muffled or inappropriate affect and anhedonia. Paranoid ideas, reference ideas or other psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations of any modality, may occur, but are not of sufficient intensity or duration to meet the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or delusional disorder. Symptoms result in distress or impairment in personal, family, social, academic, occupational, or other important areas of functioning“.
What causes schizotypal personality disorder?
“The causes of this disorder are still poorly understood, but it is generally considered to be related to a combination of genetic and environmental factors“, notes the specialist. As for the figures, it is again difficult to establish a prevalence of the disease in France: “depending on the studies, it varies from 0.7% to 4% of the general population. It is difficult to compare studies because they use different diagnostic criteria and have varying sample sizes“explains the psychiatrist.
At what age does schizotypal personality disorder occur?
Symptoms of schizotypal personality disorder usually begin in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Is it in DSM 5?
Schizotypal personality disorder listed in DSM 5, fifth and currently final version of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and Psychiatric Disorders. It is defined there as a “pattern of social and interpersonal deficits marked by discomfort and low capacity for close relationships, as well as distortions and eccentricities of cognitive or perceptual behaviors, starting in adulthood, and which are present in a variety of contexts“.
What is the course of a schizotypal personality disorder?
“The disorder most often progresses steadily through adult life“, specifies Guillaume Fond. However, a small proportion of cases will evolve towards schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder.
Diagnosis is based on clinical criteria:
- of the reference ideas – feeling that elements of the person’s environment carry a particular meaning for him. Ex: a subject of the TV news is particularly addressed to him
- a magical thinking – attributing to oneself the ability to cause or prevent events, to fulfill desires, without any intervention other than thought
- a altered perceptions (strange perceptions)
- a language characterized by unusual syntax
- a feeling of persecution
- a poor adaptation in social situations
- a unusual mannerism (lack of naturalness)
- of the eccentric behaviors
- few close friends
- anxiety during social interactions
The patient must present at least 5 of these criteria, over several years, for the diagnosis to be conclusive.
What is the treatment for schizotypal personality disorder?
“Management of schizotypal personality disorder may include cognitive-behavioral therapies and/or medications to treat concomitant symptoms – including antipsychotics and antidepressants“, explains Guillaume Fond. Psychotherapy can also be a support for the patient.
Thanks to Guillaume Fond, psychiatrist, teacher at the faculty of Aix-Marseille, researcher, lecturer and author.