The Theory of Schizophrenic Negativism

Eugen Bleuler’s treatise on schizophrenia provides an important glimpse into the history of mental illness, how psychiatric science came to understand, categorize and diagnose various types of psychosis.

As the science and study of mental illness was formalized in the late 19th century, an understanding of the various types and subtypes of disorders emerged. Much headway was made into the identification of certain types of schizophrenia, the behaviors characterizing each of these, and the methods of arriving at an accurate diagnosis. It is thus that this paper, published by Bleuler in the early 20th century, represents a summation of the progress, and an evolution in how psychosis is termed.

Prior to the publication of Bleuler’s papers, the word schizophrenia – adapted from the Greek words ‘shattered’ and ‘mind’ – had no place in psychology. Rather, the term ‘Dementia praecox’ was used as a generalized description for psychosis. Discernments used to categorize schizophrenias by Bleuler include hebephrenic, plus noting the types of emotions – positive or negative – expressed in the subtypes of various psychotic maladies. Through Bleuler’s work, psychiatric science was able to advance in its observations, resulting in improved treatment and education for students and practitioners in the field.