What is "paraphrenia"

n. Any of a group of psychotic illnesses involving delusions, distinct from paranoia and schizophrenia.

n. a form of schizophrenia characterized by delusions (of persecution or grandeur or jealousy); symptoms may include anger and anxiety and aloofness and doubts about gender identity; unlike other types of schizophrenia the patients are usually presentable and (if delusions are not acted on) may function in an apparently normal manner [syn: paranoid schizophrenia, paranoic type schizophrenia, paraphrenic schizophrenia]

Paraphrenia is a mental disorder characterized by an organized system of paranoid delusions with or without hallucinations (the positive symptoms of schizophrenia) without deterioration of intellect or personality (its negative symptom).

This disorder is also distinguished from schizophrenia by a lower hereditary occurrence, less premorbid maladjustment, and a slower rate of progression. Onset of symptoms generally occurs later in life, near the age of 60. The prevalence of the disorder among the elderly is about 2—4%

Paraphrenia is not included in either the DSM-5 or the ICD-10; psychotherapists often diagnose patients presenting with paraphrenia as having atypical psychoses, delusional disorder, psychoses not otherwise specified, schizoaffective disorders, and persistent persecutory states of older adults. Recently therapists have also been classifying paraphrenia as very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis.