Harvey has bizarre ideas, believing, for example, that his arms are decomposing. He has frequent hallucinations in which he sees his arms losing flesh and believes this is punishment for having brushed up against a strange woman in a store several years before. Harvey has completely neglected his personal hygiene, never bathing or putting on clean clothes. He seems unaware of what is going on around him, frequently laughing and giggling for no apparent reason. Which of the following diagnoses would best fit Harvey?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Harvey's symptoms, including bizarre ideas and disorganized behavior, are consistent with a diagnosis of Disorganized schizophrenia. The lack of prominent delusions or paranoia would rule out Paranoid schizophrenia, and the lack of prominent motor symptoms would rule out Catatonic schizophrenia. Although Harvey may have hallucinations, these alone are not sufficient to classify him as Undifferentiated schizophrenia, which requires symptoms that do not fit into the other subtypes.

Harvey Has Bizarre Ideas, Believing, for Example, That His Arms