schizophrenia

schizophrenia, any of a group of severe mental disorders that have in common symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, blunted emotions, disordered thinking, and a withdrawal from reality. Persons affected by schizophrenia display a wide array of symptoms. In the past, depending on the specific symptomatology, five subtypes of schizophrenia were recognized. Because of their extensive overlap in symptomatology, these subtypes are no longer considered separate diagnostic categories but often are still considered by many physicians...