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There is no laboratory test such as an x-ray or a blood test (although the latter is currently being researched) to determine whether someone has schizophrenia. Instead, the condition must be diagnosed by a psychiatrist, who conducts interviews and arranges physical examinations (to eliminate possible biological causes which may be mimicking the symptoms of schizophrenia). During the interviews, the doctor evaluates whether the person has experienced any of the symptoms listed in other sections of this website.
These symptoms do not need to be present all the time but they must be present for an enduring period, usually up to six months, in order for a diagnosis of schizophrenia to be made. Bear in mind therefore, that it can take some time for a diagnosis to be reached. It is important to realise that a once off, short episode of psychosis, is not necessarily and should not be diagnosed as such.
Specific guidelines have been developed for making a diagnosis of schizophrenia, so that different hospitals and clinics can use the same criteria in determining whether someone has the illness. Due to the nature of the condition, it is not always easy for someone with schizophrenia to recognise the symptoms, and so diagnosis may prove difficult as the person may refuse to seek professional help.
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