Negative symptoms are thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that are present in the average person but diminished in a person with a mental disorder. Diminished appetite is the only option that is not a negative symptom of schizophrenia.

Catatonia in individuals with schizophrenia causes limited reactivity to the environment and can include stereotyped behaviors such as repetitive movements or assuming bizarre poses for hours or even days. 

Schizophrenics experience psychosis through hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations are defined as vivid sensations that seem real even though they are not. Hallucinations can occur in any of the five primary senses, although they are most commonly experienced through the auditory system. On the other hand, delusions are defined as false beliefs that persist despite evidence that indicates their falsity. There are multiple kinds of delusions, such as persecutory delusions, delusions of control (i.e. thought insertion), grandiose delusions, and referential delusions. In persecutory delusions, the victim believes others are continually persecuting him or her. Delusions of control, or thought insertions, are related to the belief that other people are controlling the victim. A victim beliefs other people putting thoughts into his or her head; therefore, controlling him or her. Grandiose delusions occur when a person thinks that he or she is significantly more important, great, and powerful than they really are. Last, referential delusions occur when people believe that external events have special meaning for them, and only them.

The correct answer is "paranoid schizophrenics have delusions of grandeur, while disorganized schizophrenics do not." Two of the other answers, of auditory hallucinations and a break between reality and a perception of reality, are tendencies and symptomatic of all forms of schizophrenia. Waxy flexibility is a characteristic of catatonic schizophrenia. A flat effect of emotions is seen in disorganized schizophrenia, not paranoid schizophrenia. 

It is incorrect that Schizophrenia impacts 10-20% of the population. Rather, depression has been found to impact 10-20% of the population. Schizophrenia is less common and impacts about 1% of the population. It is most commonly diagnosed in late adolescence and early adulthood. All of the other statements are correct. 

Schizophrenics do not have split personalities. Instead, schizophrenia refers to a break from reality rather than a mental break within the patient. In other words, patients experience a split from their thinking processes and emotional responses, not within their personalities. This differentiates schizophrenia from dissociative identity disorder. On the other hand, the flat affect, waxy flexibility, delusions, and making up words are all symptoms of schizophrenia. 

"Delusions of grandeur" is the correct answer. Delusions of grandeur are fixed, false beliefs that oneself is superior (e.g. in fame, wealth, omnipotence, power). While this is a form of hallucination, the most correct answer is delusions of grandeur.

Although "social isolation" may occur in individuals with schizophrenia, the other answer choices are widely accepted symptoms of schizophrenia that are assessed by mental health practitioners when making a schizophrenia diagnosis. In other words, social isolation in and of itself is not indicative of schizophrenia. 

Ms. Johnson presents symptoms characterized by hallucinations and delusions—two hallmark symptoms of "schizophrenia." Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric illness in which people have trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality. Among women, schizophrenia typically begins in the late 20s.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder hallmarked by "psychosis" - losing touch with reality. The major neurotransmitter implicated in this disorder is dopamine. Imbalances in dopamine are responsible for the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.