LMSW Practice Test

The diagnosis for a schizophrenic patient who displays extreme purposeless negativism, is usually mute, and assumes a rigid posture when moved is likely:

1. Catatonic

2. Hebephrenic

3. Paranoid

4. Simple

The correct answer is: Catatonic

The diagnosis for a schizophrenic patient exhibiting extreme purposeless negativism, muteness, and a rigid posture aligns with catatonia, which is a subtype of schizophrenia. Catatonic schizophrenia is characterized by significant motor disturbances, which may include abnormal movement patterns such as immobility, posturing, and stereotyped movements alongside the presence of negative symptoms. The features you've described, particularly the extreme negativism and rigidity, are hallmark signs of this condition, indicating that the individual is not responding to external stimuli or commands, often leading to a state of complete unresponsiveness. In contrast, other types of schizophrenia, like hebephrenic, paranoid, or simple schizophrenia, do not specifically encompass these extreme motor behaviors and negative symptoms in the same manner. Hebephrenic schizophrenia focuses more on disorganized behavior and inappropriate emotional responses, while paranoid schizophrenia is centered around delusions and hallucinations. Simple schizophrenia is characterized by a gradual decline in functioning without the severe motor disturbances seen in catatonia. Hence, the presence of these specific motor symptoms clearly indicates a diagnosis of catatonic schizophrenia.