schizophrenia (idea)

A psychiatric condition characterized by misinterpretations of reality.

The schizophrenic patient may (amongst other things):

• experience hallucinations (visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile or mixed)
• hear voices in his/her head
• believe that he/she has power over other people's minds or that other people have power over his/her mind
• believe in being able to read other people's thoughts or that other people can read their thoughts
• believe that there are special personal messages for them in newspapers or on the radio or television.
• believe that he/she has a special link to God or indeed IS God.

Any delusion suspected of being part of the diagnosis of schizophrenia must be a belief that is not compatible with the culture from which the patient came from.

Schizophrenics are also usually very disorganized. Whilst a paranoid schizophrenic might do something like the stabbing on E.R. some time ago, it's highly unlikely (imho) that a real schizophrenic would be able to commit premeditated murder.

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Update (July 3, 2000):
From Harrison's online, chapter 385: Mental disorders:

Schizophrenia is characterized by perturbations of language, perception, thinking, social activity, affect, and volition, but there are no pathognomonic features. The syndrome commonly begins in late adolescence, has an insidious onset, and, classically, a poor outcome, progressing from social withdrawal and perceptual distortions to a state of chronic delusions and hallucinations.

The term "Schizophreniform disorder" is used to describe patients who meet the symptom description of schizophrenia but not the duration requirements (at least six months). Prognosis depends on the response to antipsychotic medication rather than the severity of symptoms.

Schizophrenia is supposedly present in 0.85% of people worldwide and there is a 1-1.5% lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia. Risk factors for developing schizophrenia are a family history of schizophrenia, developmental problems and being born in winter. If one of your parents had schizophrenia, your risk of developing schizophrenia jumps to about 6.6%. Two parents makes it about 40%. Having an identical twin who develops schizophrenia puts you at nearly 50% risk of developing it yourself.

From Harrison's online again,

The societal costs of schizophrenia are substantial. An estimated 300,000 episodes of acute schizophrenia occur annually, resulting in the use of 25 percent of all U.S. hospital beds and 20 percent of all Social Security days, with total direct and indirect economic costs approximating $33 billion.