Schizophrenia

Jeffrey Stovall, MD and Stephanie M. Fall, MD Reviewed 06/2020

BASICS

Schizophrenia is a severe and persistent psychiatric condition characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganization, cognitive dysfunction, and impairment in reality testing.

DESCRIPTION

DIAGNOSIS

Focus on identifying an insidious social and functional decline over a ≥ 6-month period (differentiates schizophrenia from brief psychotic and schizophreniform disorders). At least 2 of the ...

TREATMENT

MEDICATION

First Line

Two classes of antipsychotic medications: typical and atypical. First-line treatment is with an atypical antipsychotic given lower potential for extrapyramidal side effec...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Long-term symptom management and rehabilitation depend on engagement in ongoing pharmacologic and psychosocial treatment.
Monitoring is based on evaluation of symp...

REFERENCES

Hasan A, Falkai P, Wobrock T, et al; WFSBP Task Force on Treatment and Guidelines for Schizophrenia World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) guidelines for biological...

ADDITIONAL READING

CODES

ICD10

F20.9 Schizophrenia, unspecified
F20.0 Paranoid schizophrenia
F20.1 Disorganized schizophrenia
F20.2 Catatonic schizophrenia
F20.5 Residual schizophrenia
F20.3 Undifferentiated schizophrenia
F20....

CLINICAL PEARLS

Schizophrenia is a severe and persistent mental illness that impacts cognition and functioning and requires a multidisciplinary team approach to assist with coping, treatment, and to p...

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