Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions

Thought and movement disorders are among the positive symptoms of schizophrenia.

Thought disorders characterize disorganized and unusual thought processes, leading to disorganized speech in schizophrenia, manifested as jumping from one topic to another with no logical connection. This reflects the impaired ability to shift and maintain attention.

The resulting speech becomes impossible to comprehend and is often called word salad by psychologists.

Individuals with schizophrenia may also create new words, a phenomenon known as neologism.

Additionally, they often use referential thinking, attributing personal meaning to random events. For example, a person might believe that a traffic light changes specifically for their inconvenience.

Movement disorders characterize unusual mannerisms, body movements, and facial expressions. An extreme case is catatonia, which is marked by prolonged immobility and unresponsiveness.

Examples of catatonia include holding the body in unusual or rigid postures, curling into a fetal position, resisting movement or speech, and pacing aimlessly.

At times, catatonia includes echolalia, where individuals repeat phrases in a parrot-like manner.