How can one make a diagnosis of schizophrenia?

Unfortunately, there are no blood or radiological tests that can make a diagnosis of schizophrenia.  The diagnosis of this mental health disorder is usually made by a psychiatrist. Most general physicians have little clue about this disorder , so it is essential that you be referred to the appropriate mental health specialist.

The diagnosis of schizophrenia is based on your history and clinical presentation. The psychiatrist will also ask about your drug history or any other illness. 

When doctors suspect a mental health disorder such as schizophrenia, the first  test is to conduct a proper physical exam followed by a number of psychological tests. The schizophrenia diagnosis testing usually involves answering standardized questionnaires. One does undergo some laboratory tests to rule out any other medical condition and to screen for alcohol, prescription and illicit drugs. 

Depending on the situation, your doctor may also order a  CT scan or an MRI of the brain. Part of the paranoid schizophrenia test includes a thorough psychological evaluation with a mental health care worker. During the psychological tests, the individual will be assessed for psychosis by observing appearance mannerism, speech, behavior and asking about different thoughts, delusions, hallucinations and potential for harm.

The diagnosis of schizophrenia is based on certain criteria established by the Diagnostic and statistical Manual of mental Disorders (DSM). The schizophrenia diagnostic test requires that an individual have at least two common symptoms of the disorder like delusions, hallucination, disorganized speech, abnormal behaviors or presence of negative symptoms for at least 4 weeks. Moreover, the paranoid schizophrenia test must indicate that the individual is significantly impaired and unable to work, attend school of perform daily living tasks. The symptoms must be present for at least 6 months.

The aim of all the tests is to differentiate between the several subtypes of schizophrenia. However, not everyone fits in a specific category. The five common types of schizophrenia include 1) paranoid, 2) catatonic 3) disorganized 4) undifferentiated and 5) residual.

The majority of individuals have the undifferentiated subtype whose dominant symptoms may be from any one of the other subtypes. The paranoid schizophrenia subtype is characterized by delusions and hallucinations, and has the best chance of improvement.