Schizotypal personality disorder involves peculiar behaviors and ways of thinking. The disorder may be misunderstood, resulting in schizotypal personality disorder myths.
Schizotypal personality disorder ischaracterizedby strange beliefs and by peculiar behaviors, thoughts and speech. Individuals with this disorder tend to demonstrate limited emotions, experience social anxiety and distrust others. The behavior of individuals with the condition may seem eccentric and cause many people to misunderstand the disorder, possibly leading them to believe somecommon myths about schizotypal personality disorder.Fortunately,facts about schizotypal personality disordercan help with understanding the condition better.
Myth 1: Schizotypal Personality Disorder is a Rare Condition
Fact: Schizotypal personality disorder is more common than it may seem and more common than other personality disorders.
According toschizotypal personality disorder statistics,theprevalence of schizotypal personality disorderin the United States is nearly 4%. Theprevalence rateis slightly higher in women, at 4.2%, compared to 3.7% in men.
Research showsthat theoccurrence of schizotypal personality disorderis higher than that of several other personality disorders, including antisocial, histrionic and dependent personality disorder. For example,several studiesfound that the prevalence of dependent personality disorder is under 1%. Comparatively speaking, schizotypal personality disorder is not a rare condition.
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Myth 2: Schizotypal Personality Disorder Resembles Schizophrenia
Fact: While schizotypal personality disorder and schizophrenia have some similar characteristics, the two are distinct mental health conditions.
Somesymptoms of schizotypal personality disordermay appear similar to those seen in schizophrenia. For example, schizophrenia symptomsincludeunusual thoughts and a lack of emotional expression, which are characteristics also seen in cases of schizotypal personality disorder.
Thedifference between schizotypal personality disorder and schizophreniais that the latter is more severe andinvolves psychotic features, such as hallucinations and delusions. Individuals with schizophrenia demonstrate psychosis, whereas it isreportedthat those with schizotypal personality disorder generally do not appear psychotic, as they are able to recognize when the reality is different from their own thoughts.
While schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder are two separate conditions, it is possible that someone with schizotypal personality disorder may develop schizophrenia later in life. Almost30%of adolescents with schizotypal personality disorder will later develop psychosis, making the personality disorder a risk factor for schizophrenia. There areshared genetic and neurological factorsunderlying both schizotypal personality disorder and schizophrenia, so schizotypal personality disorder may be regarded as fitting in the continuum of schizophrenia.
Myth 3: Schizotypal Personality Disorder is Common in Older Adults
Fact: Schizotypal personality disorder generally manifests itself before the beginning of adulthood.
Some people may believe that schizotypal personality disorder is common in older adults, but theaverage age of onset of schizotypal personality disorderis during adolescence through early adulthood.Diagnostic criteriafor schizotypal personality disorder stipulates that symptoms must be present by the start of adulthood.
Schizotypal personality disorder statisticsdemonstrate that this disorder is not common in older adults.One studyshowed that 55% of people with this personality disorder show symptoms before age 20, and 14% become symptomatic before age 14. The risk of developing schizotypal personality disorder ceases once a person turns 40.
Additional statisticsconfirm that schizotypal personality disorder is not common in older adults. Among those between 65 and 74 years old, the prevalence of the disorder is 1.89% for men and 1.25% for women. By the age of 85 and beyond, prevalence drops to 0.18 percent for men and 1.5 percent for women.
Myth 4: Schizotypal Personality Disorder Isn’t Treatable
Fact: Treatment is available for schizotypal personality disorder, and it can help individuals with this condition to lead fulfilling, productive lives.
Schizotypal personality disorder treatmentcan involve medications, counseling or a combination of the two. Generally, treatmentincludesantipsychotic medications. Doctors may also treat schizotypal personality disorder with antidepressants to help patients manage the anxiety associated with this condition. A type of therapy calledcognitive behavioral therapycan help individuals with schizotypal personality disorder develop social skills and coping mechanisms to understand how their thoughts and behaviors may seem peculiar to others.
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