Which of the following best distinguishes disorganized schizophrenia from paranoid schizophrenia?

• A. Disorganized schizophrenia is characterized by disorganized speech and behavior, while paranoid schizophrenia is marked primarily by prominent delusions and auditory hallucinations.
• B. Both disorganized and paranoid schizophrenia are primarily defined by negative symptoms such as flat affect and social withdrawal.
• C. Paranoid schizophrenia involves catatonic motor symptoms, whereas disorganized schizophrenia is defined by persistent persecutory delusions.
• D. Disorganized schizophrenia is associated with a better prognosis than paranoid schizophrenia due to more organized thinking.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the key symptoms of disorganized schizophrenia, which primarily include disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and inappropriate or flat affect.
2. Step 2: Recognize that paranoid schizophrenia is mainly characterized by prominent positive symptoms such as delusions (especially persecutory) and auditory hallucinations, with relatively preserved cognitive functioning.
3. Step 3: Compare the symptom profiles: disorganized schizophrenia focuses on thought and behavior disorganization, while paranoid schizophrenia centers on specific types of delusions and hallucinations.
4. Step 4: Note that negative symptoms like flat affect and social withdrawal can appear in both types but are not the defining features that distinguish them.
5. Step 5: Use this understanding to identify that the best distinguishing factor is that disorganized schizophrenia is marked by disorganized speech and behavior, whereas paranoid schizophrenia is marked by prominent delusions and auditory hallucinations.