Schizotypy: Implications for Illness and Health

by Gordon Claridge (editor)

The central theme of this book presents a challenging and controversial new view of psychosis--that the features of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia actually lie on a continuum with, and form part of, normal behavior and experience. The dispositional or "schizotypal" traits associated with psychotic disorders, while increasing one's chances for mental illness, also lead to positive outcomes such as enhanced creativity or spiritual experience. Each aspect of this theme is supported by extensive experimental and clinical evidence, questioning the conventional medical wisdom that treats psychotic illness in the narrow context of neurological disease. The result is an authoritative and provocative overview of an important topic in psychological research and clinical practice.

354 pages, Hardcover

First published July 10, 1997

About the author

Dr. Gordon Claridge was a British psychologist best known for his pioneering research on schizotypy, a concept that explores the continuum between normal personality traits and vulnerability to psychosis. After earning his PhD under Hans Eysenck and Neil O’Connor, Claridge held influential academic and clinical positions at institutions including Bristol, Glasgow, and Oxford. He published widely on personality and mental illness, often challenging conventional boundaries between health and disorder. His books include Schizotypy: Implications for Illness and Health and Sounds from the Bell Jar.