Two or more symptoms for a significant portion of time during a 1-month to 6-month period, with at least one being delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech.

• A. Two or more symptoms for 1 month to 6 months, with at least one being delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech
• B. Symptoms lasting less than 1 week
• C. Only negative symptoms for 2 weeks
• D. Mood symptoms predominate for 2 months

Answer: (A)

Two or more psychotic symptoms present for a substantial portion of time, with lasting between 1 and 6 months and at least one of those symptoms being delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech, is the pattern that defines schizphreniform disorder. The emphasis is on both the number of symptoms and the specific timing: you need at least two symptoms, and the total duration must be between 1 and 6 months. If symptoms persist beyond 6 months, the diagnosis would shift toward schizophrenia; if they occur for less than a month, it would be a brief psychotic disorder. Mood-dominant symptoms suggest another mood-related psychotic disorder (mood disorder with psychotic features or schizoaffective) rather than schizophriform. So this option matches the duration and symptom criteria most accurately.