Ep 40: Schizoid vs. Schizotypal vs. Schizophrenia - What the Difference?

In this episode of The Personality Couch, we (licensed clinical psychologists Doc Bok and Doc Fish) compare and contrast schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders, as well as schizophrenia. We define key terms, explore the overlap and differences among these disorders, and introduce the concept of schizotypy as a genetic predisposition towards schizophrenia. We further discuss the concept of schizotaxia, or “cognitive slippage” and the impact of birth trauma on schizo development. We also share our opinions about where schizoid fits on this continuum and if they are schizotypes or not.

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Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction & Defining Terms
  • 01:14 Schizoid Personality Defined
  • 01:49 Schizotypal Personality Defined
  • 06:30 Schizophrenia Defined
• 09:05 Overlap of Schizoid, Schizotypal, & Schizophrenia
• 12:48 Differences Among Schizoid, Schizotypal, & Schizophrenia
• 14:34 Meehl’s Model of Schizotypy & Genetics
  • 16:29 Schizotypy Defined
• 20:00 Premature Birth & Low Birth Weight in Schizo Disorders
• 22:39 Schizoids’ Unique Relationship to Schizotypy
• 28:34 Summary & Conclusion

Additional Podcast References

• Millon, T. (2011). Disorders of personality: Introducing a DSM / ICD spectrum from normal to abnormal (3rd edition). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Casper, R. C. (2004). Nutrients, neurodevelopment, and mood. Current Psychiatry Reports, 6(6), 425-429. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-004-0006-z
• Ellman, L. M., Murphy, S. K., Maxwell, S. D., Calvo, E. M., Cooper, T., Schaefer, C. A., Bresnahan, M. A., Susser, E. S., & Brown, A. S. (2019). Maternal cortisol during pregnancy and offspring schizophrenia: Influence of fetal sex and timing of exposure. Schizophrenia Research, 213, 15-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2019.07.002
• Hebebrand, J., Henninghausen, K., Nau, S., Himmelmann, G. W., Schulz, E., Schäfer, H., & Remschmidt, H. (1997). Low body weight in male children and adolescents with schizoid personality disorder or Asperger’s disorder. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 96(1), 64–67. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1997.tb09906.x
• Jablensky, A. V., Morgan, V., Zubrick, S. R., Bower, C., & Yellachich, L. (2005). Pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal complications in a population cohort of women with schizophrenia and major affective disorders. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(1), 79-91. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.1.79
• Lemvigh, C. K., Ambrosen, K. S., Ebdrup, B. H., Glenthøj, B. Y., Osler, M., & Fagerlund, B. (2024). Impact of early risk factors on schizophrenia risk and age of diagnosis: A Danish population-based register study. European Psychiatry, 67(1), e64. https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.1774
• Lemvigh, C. K., Brouwer, R., Hilker, R., Anhøj, S., Baandrup, L., Pantelis, C., Glenthøj, B., & Fagerlund, B. (2023). The relative and interactive impact of multiple risk factors in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: A combined register-based and clinical twin study. Psychological Medicine, 53(4), 1266-1276. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291721002749
• Mather, A. A., Cox, B. J., Enns, M. W., & Sareen, J. (2008). Associations between body weight and personality disorders in a nationally representative sample. Psychosomatic Medicine, 70(9), 1012-1019. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e318189a930
• Mednick, S. A., Parnas, J., & Schulsinger, F. (1987). The Copenhagen High-Risk Project, 1962-86. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 13(3), 485–495. https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/13.3.485
• Van, L., Butcher, N. J., Costain, G., Ogura, L., Chow, E. W. C., & Bassett, A. S. (2016). Fetal growth and gestational factors as predictors of schizophrenia in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Genetics in Medicine, 18(4), 350-355. https://doi.org/10.1038/gim.2015.84