Schizotypal
personality disorder is an ingrained pattern of thinking and behavior marked by unusual beliefs and fears, and difficulty with forming and maintaining relationships. This disorder is within the schizophrenia spectrum.
People with schizotypal personality disorder are uncomfortable with close relationships and may exhibit eccentric behavior. Speech may include digressions, odd use of words, or evidence of
magical thinking, such as a belief in
clairvoyance and bizarre
fantasies. Patients usually experience distorted thinking and avoid
intimacy. They typically have few, if any, close friends, and feel nervous around strangers although they may marry and maintain jobs. The disorder, which may appear more frequently in males, surfaces by early adulthood and can exacerbate
anxiety and
depression.
Schizotypal personality disorder is classified under the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5. Cluster A is described as odd, eccentric. The other two cluster A
personality disorders are schizoid personality disorder and paranoid personality disorder. Social awkwardness and withdrawal are hallmarks of this cluster.