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Psychology vocabulary · Mental Health Conditions

Schizophrenia

Meaning in psychology, with examples

/ˌskɪtsəˈfriːniə/nounCore term

In psychology, schizophrenia means: A serious mental disorder involving psychosis, such as hallucinations and delusions, together with disorganised thinking and reduced motivation or emotional expression.

In Turkish: şizofreni

How it is used

Clinicians describe positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions) and negative symptoms (low motivation, flat affect). DSM-5 places it among schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. Person-first wording such as 'a person with schizophrenia' is preferred.

Example sentences

  1. Negative symptoms of schizophrenia often affect work and relationships more than hallucinations do.

  2. The study tested a family intervention for people with schizophrenia and their relatives.

Common collocations

  • positive symptoms
  • negative symptoms
  • first-episode schizophrenia
  • diagnosed with schizophrenia
  • psychosisA state in which a person loses some contact with reality, usually experiencing hallucinations, delusions or very disorganised thinking.
  • mental disorderA clinically significant pattern of disturbance in thinking, emotion or behaviour that causes distress or problems in daily functioning, as defined in systems such as DSM-5 and ICD-11.
  • diagnosisThe process of identifying which mental or physical condition explains a person's difficulties, or the name of the condition that is identified.
  • bipolar disorderA mood disorder in which a person has episodes of mania or hypomania, with very high energy and mood, usually alternating with episodes of depression.

More terms: Mental Health Conditions

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.