What Are the Types of Schizophrenia?

There are five classical subtypes of schizophrenia, which include paranoid schizophrenia, hebephrenic/disorganized schizophrenia, undifferentiated schizophrenia, residual schizophrenia, and catatonic schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. People who have schizophrenia may lose touch with reality and see or hear things that aren't there, believe things that aren't true, and/or not display emotions. 

5 Types of Schizophrenia

There are five classical subtypes of schizophrenia.

1. Paranoid schizophrenia

• One of the most common forms of schizophrenia
• Characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, behavioral problems, and difficulty with focus and comprehension

2. Hebephrenic/disorganized schizophrenia

• Characterized by disorganized behavior and speech such as repetitive movements or gestures, difficulty with decision-making, forgetfulness, disorganized thinking, slow movements and inappropriate emotional responses
• Hallucinations and delusions are not present 

3. Undifferentiated schizophrenia 

• Characterized by behaviors that apply to more than one subtype of schizophrenia

4. Residual schizophrenia

• Characterized by an existing diagnosis of schizophrenia, but symptoms are lessened in intensity or no longer present
• Often includes “negative” symptoms such as lack of emotional display, not moving or speaking much, lack of basic hygiene, loss of interest in spending time with others or doing things that once were enjoyable, low motivation and fatigue

5. Catatonic schizophrenia

• Characterized by remaining in a fixed position for long periods, mutism, and mimicking behavior

Signs and symptoms that are often present in people who have schizophrenia, such as:

• Abnormal behaviors that occur because of schizophrenia (psychotic manifestations called “positive symptoms”)
  • Hallucinations: seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, or tasting things that aren't there
  • Delusions: paranoia, irrational fears, believing things that are untrue
  • Disorganized thinking or speech 
• Normal behaviors that stop because of schizophrenia, called “negative symptoms”
  • Lack of emotional display or not showing facial expressions (“flat affect”)
  • Not moving or speaking much
  • Lack of basic hygiene
  • No interest in spending time with others or doing things that once were enjoyable
  • Reduced motivation 
  • Difficulty planning, starting, and sustaining activities
• Cognitive symptoms affecting thinking and memory 
  • This can cause problems with:
    • Learning and remembering
    • Making sense of new information
    • Solving problems
    • Focusing or paying attention
    • Decision making
    • Understanding speech or other types of communication
• Emotional symptoms
  • Anxiety 
  • Depression

Schizophrenia is diagnosed with an assessment by a mental health professional. A diagnosis of schizophrenia is made when a person has two or more of the following symptoms occurring persistently along with reduced functioning:

• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Negative symptoms
• Disorganized speech
• Disorganized or catatonic behavior

In some cases, tests may be performed to rule out other psychiatric diagnoses such as bipolar disorder, brain tumors, or other medical conditions that may be responsible for the symptoms.

Treatment for schizophrenia includes medications combined with counseling and support.

The main types of medications used to treat schizophrenia are antipsychotics. Patients usually need to take these drugs for the rest of their lives. 

Antipsychotics can cause unpleasant side effects and many patients stop taking them as a result. Never stop taking a prescribed medication without first talking to your doctor. It may be possible to change the dosage or regimen, or switch to a different medication to find one that works best for you and also minimize side effects. It usually takes several attempts with different medications to find the right one for each individual patient. 

Counseling and other support for schizophrenia includes: 

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Cognitive remediation interventions to help address the negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia
• Behavioral skills training
• Supported employment
• Family education and support programs
• Coordinated specialty care (CSC), which is recovery-oriented treatment programs for people with first episode psychosis, an early stage of schizophrenia
• Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) for individuals with schizophrenia who are at risk for repeated hospitalizations or homelessness