Meaning & use
schizophreniform
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivebefore a nounmedical
Resembling schizophrenia in its symptoms, but lasting for a shorter time.
Grammar: Almost always before disorder: schizophreniform disorder.
Patterns
- schizophreniform disorder
- schizophreniform symptoms
The doctor diagnosed schizophreniform disorder after two months of symptoms.
Schizophreniform symptoms may include hallucinations and disorganized speech.
The patient showed schizophreniform behavior but had not met the six-month requirement.
Common combinations
- schizophreniform disorder
- Schizophreniform disorder lasts between one and six months.
- schizophreniform symptoms
- The patient had schizophreniform symptoms.
- schizophreniform psychosis
- A schizophreniform psychosis can develop after severe stress.
- schizophreniform episode
- He had a schizophreniform episode in college.
Synonyms and how they differ
- schizophrenia-like
- Schizophrenia-like is a plain description, while schizophreniform is the formal medical term.
- psychotic
- Psychotic is a broader word for losing touch with reality and is not specific to this disorder.
Word family
Commonly confused: schizophreniform or schizoaffective?
schizophreniform vs schizoaffective
Schizoaffective disorder combines schizophrenia symptoms with a mood disorder, which is different.
Practice
A psychiatrist diagnosed ___ disorder because symptoms had lasted less than six months.
Choose one answer.
Schizophreniform disorder is diagnosed when symptoms are like schizophrenia but short-lived. The others do not combine with disorder in this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “schizophreniform”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.